Calibration procedures for NOx emissions model of a high-speed marine diesel engine using optimization procedures

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Tadros, Mina and Boulougouris, Evangelos (2025) Calibration procedures for NOx emissions model of a high-speed marine diesel engine using optimization procedures. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 13 (8). 1585. ISSN 2077-1312 (https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13081585)

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Abstract

Controlling nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions is a critical priority for the maritime industry, driven by increasingly stringent international maritime organization (IMO) Tier III regulations and the sector’s broader decarbonization efforts. Accurate prediction and minimization of NOx emissions require well-calibrated engine models that reflect real-world operating behavior under varied conditions. This study presents a robust calibration methodology for the NOx emissions model of a high-speed dual-fuel marine engine, using a 1D engine simulation platform (WAVE 2025.1) integrated with a nonlinear optimization algorithm (fmincon in MATLAB R2025a). The calibration focuses on tuning the extended Zeldovich mechanism by empirically adjusting the Arrhenius equation coefficients to achieve a weighted sum of NOx and unburned hydrocarbon (HC) emissions below the 7.2 g/kWh regulatory threshold. The proposed approach reduces the need for extensive experimental data while maintaining high predictive accuracy. Simulation results confirm compliance with IMO regulations across multiple engine loads defined by the E3 test cycle. A sensitivity analysis further revealed that while the pre-exponent multiplier (ARC1) plays a critical role in influencing NOx emissions at high loads, the exponent multiplier (AERC1) has an even more significant impact across the full load range, making its precise calibration essential for robust emissions modeling. The calibrated NOx emissions model not only ensures realistic emissions estimation but also provides a reliable foundation for further research, such as dual-fuel performance studies, and can be effectively integrated into future engine optimization tasks under different operating conditions.

ORCID iDs

Tadros, Mina ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9065-3803 and Boulougouris, Evangelos ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5730-007X;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)