Control of electric drive tugboat autonomous formation

The automation of maritime transport is an indispensable trend towards full autonomy of maritime vessels. In this paper, an attempt was made to present the control system for port autonomous vessels using an agent system. On the basis of the conducted research, in order to optimize the energy consumption related to the movement of tugboats, the shape of the hull and the shape of the formation in which 4 tugboats are moving were selected. Several scenarios of navigational situations that may take place in port waters have been recognized. The conducted analysis have shown that the optimal shape of the hull of tugboats, the shape of the formation in which they move, as well as the determination of the passage route for the implementation of a specific task, can contribute to reducing both the carbon footprint and the energy consumption of the propulsion systems of tugboats. This is of significant importance in terms of reducing exhaust gas emissions in and around ports.