Evaluation of Different Deep-Learning Models for the Prediction of a Ship’s Propulsion Power

Adverse conditions within specific offshore environments magnify the challenges faced by a vessel’s energy-efficiency optimization in the Industry 4.0 era. As the data rate and volume increase, the analysis of big data using analytical techniques might not be efficient, or might even be infeasible in some cases. The purpose of this study is the development of deep-learning models that can be utilized to predict the propulsion power of a vessel. Two models are discriminated: (1) a feed-forward neural network (FFNN) and (2) a recurrent neural network (RNN). Predictions provided by these models were compared with values measured onboard. Comparisons between the two types of networks were also performed. Emphasis was placed on the different data pre-processing phases, as well as on the optimal configuration decision process for each of the developed deep-learning models. Factors and parameters that played a significant role in the outcome, such as the number of layers in the neural network, were also evaluated.