Case Study: ABB achieves system-level ship energy optimization and fuel savings with MathWorks (Simulink and Simscape)

ABB, Deltamarin, and VTT Simulate and Optimize Ship Energy Flows

ABB faced rising fuel costs and tighter IMO regulations that demanded more efficient, multidomain ship energy systems. Spreadsheets were insufficient for dynamic, system-level analysis across mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, thermal, and thermohydraulic subsystems, so ABB (with partners Deltamarin and VTT) turned to MathWorks tools—MATLAB, Simulink, and Simscape—to model and optimize complex ship energy flows.

Using MathWorks’ Simulink and Simscape, the team built a multidomain ship energy flow simulator with custom Simscape domains and libraries, MATLAB automation and an Excel interface, and integrated it with ABB’s EMMA system. The MathWorks-based solution enabled system-level optimization, identified fuel- and cost-saving design changes (a pump redesign could cut annual fuel use by 2.5%, and valve control changes recovered up to 45% more heat), and reduced testing costs by tens of thousands of euros.

ABB

Juha Orivuori

Lead Development Engineer