Towards marine dual fuel engines digital twins - integrated modelling of thermodynamic processes and control system functions

This study aims at developing an integrated model that combines detailed engine thermodynamic modelling and the control system functional modelling paving the way towards the development of fidel digital twins. To sufficiently represent the combustion process, a multi-Wiebe function approach was employed along with a database for storing the Wiebe functions parameters and the use of quadratic interpolation. The developed model was employed for the systematic investigation of a marine four-stroke dual fuel engine response during demanding transient operation with modes switching and load changes. The derived results are analysed for identifying the engine critical components and their effect on the engine operational limitations. The results demonstrate that the developed model can sufficiently represent the engine and its subsystems/components behaviour and effectively capture the engine control systems functionality. The appropriate turbocharger matching along with the sufficient design of the exhaust gas waste gate valve and fuels control systems are crucial for ensuring the smooth engine operation of dual fuel engines.