Adaptive Path-Following Control for Displacement Vessels at any Loading Conditions Under Ocean Disturbances

Abstract

Challenges associated with path-following control for commercial displacement vessels under varying loading and draught conditions are addressed in this study. Adaptive control with the adaptation law technique is used to mitigate the adverse effects of uncertainty and unmodeled parameters on path-following, particularly in the presence of ocean disturbances. The proposed adaptive path-following control estimates the effect of unmodeled parameters and dynamic behavior by the state estimator. Then, the proposed structure adjusts the gains of the L1 controller. The indirect L1 control is used in the main controller, and stability proof is provided based on Lyapunov theory. The adaptive path-following control is proposed for the underactuated-very large crude carrier 2 (VLCC2) as a benchmark vessel. Hydrodynamic coefficients for full load and ballast conditions are determined using empirical formulas. Simulations are conducted in these loading conditions, accounting for a two-knot ocean current, two-knot wind, and waves up to sea state 5. Results highlight that the fixed structure, such as the PID controller, fails to deliver satisfactory performance due to significant variations in the vessel’s mass, inertia, and draught. By contrast, the adaptive path-following control demonstrates robustness under varying conditions by effectively estimating the vessel’s unmodeled parameters.

Keywords

Full scale / Ballast and full load / Adaptive path-following / Model reference / Ocean disturbances

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