The maritime industry is working to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while adapting to evolving environmental regulations. For LNG carriers, this is particularly challenging because propulsion, electrical, thermal, and cargo management systems, including boil-off gas handling, operate as interconnected systems.
A blog by Gamma Technologies explains that evaluating these systems together through system-level simulation provides a more complete understanding of vessel performance than optimizing individual components. Using GT-SUITE, engineers can simulate propulsion, generators, boilers, waste heat recovery, and reliquefaction systems to assess how different operating strategies influence energy use. The blog also describes an optimization study in which consolidating auxiliary generator loads onto fewer engines operating at higher utilization improved engine efficiency without requiring hardware modifications. These findings demonstrate how system-level analysis can help identify operational opportunities to improve energy efficiency and support emissions reduction.
Image courtesy: Gamma Technologies