Evaluation of Recovery Braking Capacities on Electric Vessel

In this work, the possibility to recover energy during braking operations in a low tonnage ship is studied. A simple full electric propulsion chain is considered. The models of the different elements of the propulsion chain are described and then integrated for a dynamic simulation on a Matlab/Simulink code. This model includes a 4-quadrant model for the propeller which allows taking into account energy harnessing. A case study is considered based on the specifications of a river shuttle. Several control strategies of the electrical propulsion motor during braking are studied. Results highlight the advantages of applying a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) strategy (like in a wind or tidal turbine) which leads to a considerable increase of the recovered energy.