Validation of an optimal controller for the Canadian patrol frigate propulsion diesel engine

The Canadian Patrol Frigate (CPF) Propulsion Diesel Engine (PDE) has inadequacies in its present control scheme. The problems arise from the fitted diesel engine speed governor's attempt to compensate for the cyclical load variations caused by sea state loading on the ship's propellers. Cyclical sea state loading of the diesel engine causes excessive fuel rack movement, engine speed cycling and propeller speed cycling. A test bed facility suitable for testing different control strategies that combat PDE cycling has been installed at the Royal Military College of Canada. This facility consists of a test bed diesel engine that closely emulates the characteristics of the PDE and an engine loading algorithm that closely simulates sea state loading conditions experienced by the PDE. A control scheme developed by Guillemette(1) demonstrated in a computer simulation, the ability to simultaneously reduce engine speed and fuel rack cycling of the CPF propulsion diesel engine. This control scheme was chosen for implementation and validation on the test bed diesel engine. The challenges of adapting Guillemette's optimal control solution to the test bed diesel engine will be discussed. A comparison of the results obtained by Guillemette in his computer simulation will be compared against those obtained experimentally. Finally, future work relating to the newly installed test bed diesel engine facility will be discussed.