• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.8
• /
• pp.1303-1308
• /
• 2008

Keeping cooling water temperature higher within the allowable range helps marine engines to run in more efficient condition especially when the engine load is low. Temperature control of jacket cooling water in outlet side of main engine has been more widely adopted to ships these days for the purpose to reduce fuel consumption rate. But If the temperature sensor for the control loop is placed at the outlet of engine, it brings more difficulties in attaining stable and desirable properties due to dead times included in pipe length and engine itself comparing to the case where the measuring point is at the inlet side of main engine. In relation with this problem, Feed-forward control could be one of realistic solutions as it reveals good properties and requires less cost for system configuration. This study suggests a forward control system which leads to improved temperature control performances to disturbance signals which could arise from variation of engine load or weather condition. Two dead times in the modelling were described, considering pipe length between the actuator and the engine as well as the thermal process inside the engine. The results of analysis were shown by simulations to confirm responses under different conditions.