Feasibility of disturbance‐accommodating control in steering of a large tanker

Abstract

AbstractThe feasibility of applying disturbance‐accommodating control (DAC) techniques to the problem of steering control of a large tanker in a seaway is examined. A performance criterion representative of propulsion losses related to steering is used as a basis for the design of course‐keeping controllers. The development of disturbance state models to take advantage of the short‐term regularity of the seaway within a DAC framework is presented. Comparisons are made between the performance resulting from the DAC approach and previous LQG approaches to the problem using computer simulation results. On this basis, it is shown that controller design within a DAC framework may be a viable alternative to existing Kalman filter estimation/control schemes used in autopilot design.