Model-Based Motion Control Design for the Milliampere1 Prototype Ferry

Following the recent upgrade of the propulsion plant configuration for the milliAmpere1 passenger ferry prototype, a model-based controller pipeline suitable for all the milliAmpere1 speed ranges is proposed and evaluated. Some well-known methods for force allocation and reference model systems are implemented together with a nonlinear model-based motion controller, and a comparison study for different combinations is carried out to define the best solution for this application. Considering low-speed operations, the efficiency of three force allocation solutions and three reference models with two possible thruster configurations are investigated. The resulting controllers are evaluated with five performance metrics. For higher-speed operations, a solution with a reference model and a force allocation is presented and investigated. The controllers have been tested via numerical simulations, and based on the performance metrics, indications for the best design options are provided.