A system approach for modeling and simulation of marine scrubbers

This study aims to develop a system approach for modeling and simulation of marine scrubbers, which are devices that reduce sulfur oxides (SOx) emissions from ships powered by heavy fuel oil (HFO). Marine scrubbers are a viable option to comply with the new regulations issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for SOx control. This system model of a marine scrubber was developed using the bond graph method, which simulates the interactions between exhaust gas and seawater within a marine scrubber, incorporating the physical and chemical processes involved, and supports modular modeling concepts. The model was validated by comparing the simulation results with the data collected from a scrubber installed on a real ship under operational conditions. The comparisons show that the model is robust and accurate, and can be used to simulate cases under real operational conditions, and hence can be used for optimization and integration studies.