Maneuvering-based Dynamic Thrust Allocation for Fully-Actuated Vessels

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel maneuvering-based approach for dynamic thrust allocation in fully-actuated vessels, utilizing control Lyapunov and barrier functions to ensure optimal, smooth, and safe thruster force distribution.

Contribution

It introduces a new nonlinear reference filtering method using control Lyapunov and barrier functions for improved thrust allocation in maritime vessels.

Findings

Ensures dynamic tracking of optimal thrust with rate limitations.

Respects thruster force saturation limits effectively.

Provides smooth and effective thrust reference signals.

Abstract

This paper introduces a new approach to solving the thrust allocation problem using the maneuvering problem in the maritime domain for fully actuated vessels. The method uses a control Lyapunov function to create a nonlinear reference filter for the thruster forces. The filter ensures dynamic tracking of the optimal thrust allocation solution with rate limitation in the output thruster references. It further uses control barrier functions to ensure that the thruster force saturation limits are respected. The approach aims for simplicity and effectiveness, as well as smooth and dynamic thruster reference signals, in the implementation of thrust allocation for marine vessels.