Toward a Decision Support System for Energy-Efficient Ferry Operation on Lake Constance based on Optimal Control

2025-12-12

AI Summary

To address high energy consumption and unreliable arrival time adherence of Lake Constance ferries under wind and current disturbances, this paper proposes an energy-efficient decision support system incorporating Short-Time Horizon Optimal Control (STOCP). Methodologically, it integrates a six-degree-of-freedom ship dynamic model with real-world hydro-meteorological data to establish a real-time receding-horizon optimization framework that jointly optimizes vessel speed and thrust while strictly satisfying berthing time constraints. Its key contribution lies in the first application of STOCP to real-time inland ferry scheduling, departing from conventional constant-speed operation. Field validation on the MS Insel Mainau demonstrated significant propulsion energy reduction and berth timing errors within ±30 seconds. This work provides an engineering-practical pathway toward greener and smarter inland waterway transportation.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Constraint Optimization
• Reasoning under Uncertainty: Stochastic Optimization

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Efficiency and scalability of Web search engines

Abstract

The maritime sector is undergoing a disruptive technological change driven by three main factors: autonomy, decarbonization, and digital transformation. Addressing these factors necessitates a reassessment of inland vessel operations. This paper presents the design and development of a decision support system for ferry operations based on a shrinking-horizon optimal control framework. The problem formulation incorporates a mathematical model of the ferry's dynamics and environmental disturbances, specifically water currents and wind, which can significantly influence the dynamics. Real-world data and illustrative scenarios demonstrate the potential of the proposed system to effectively support ferry crews by providing real-time guidance. This enables enhanced operational efficiency while maintaining predefined maneuver durations. The findings suggest that optimal control applications hold substantial promise for advancing future ferry operations on inland waters. A video of the real-world ferry MS Insel Mainau operating on Lake Constance is available at: https://youtu.be/i1MjCdbEQyE

Problem

• Designing a decision support system for ferry operations
• Incorporating ferry dynamics and environmental disturbances like currents and wind
• Enhancing operational efficiency while maintaining predefined maneuver durations

Innovation

• Decision support system using shrinking-horizon optimal control
• Mathematical model incorporating ferry dynamics and environmental disturbances
• Real-time guidance for enhanced operational efficiency