The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the production of exhaust emissions from a vehicle with a petrol engine with the Euro 4 emission standard and powered by petrol and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). The paper presents new possibilities for monitoring exhaust emissions using an exhaust gas analyzer. At the same time, it points out the topicality and significance of the issue in the monitored area. It examines the impact of a change in fuel on emissions. This change is monitored in various areas of vehicle operation. Measurements were performed during real operation, which means that the results are fully usable and applicable in practice. The driving simulation as well as the test conditions correspond to the RDE (Real Driving Emissions) test standard. A commercially available car was first selected to perform the tests, which was first measured in the original configuration (petrol drive). Based on real-time RDE driving tests, it is possible to determine the number of exhaust emissions. Subsequently, the same measurements were performed with the same vehicle, but the vehicle’s propulsion was changed to LPG. The vehicle was equipped with an additional system that allowed the vehicle to be powered by LPG. The results from the individual driving tests allowed the determination of the exhaust emissions. Emissions of CO (carbon monoxide), CO₂ (carbon dioxide), HC (hydrocarbons), and NO_x (nitrogen oxides) were monitored as a matter of priority. Through the driving tests, it was found that the gasoline combustion produced higher CO (1.926 g/km) and CO₂ (217.693 g/km) emissions compared to the combustion of liquefied gas, where the concentration of the CO emissions was 1.892 g/km and that of the CO₂ emissions was 213.966 g/km. In contrast, the HC (0.00397 g/km) and NO_x (0.03107 g/km) emissions were lower when petrol was burned. During LPG combustion, the HC emissions reached 0.00430 g/km, and the NO_x emissions reached 0.05134 g/km. At the end of the research, the authors compared the emissions determined by real driving (in g/km) with the emission values produced by the emission standard EURO 4 and the certificate of conformity (COC). Practical measurements showed that the vehicle produced excessive amounts of CO when burning gasoline. This production is 0.926 g/km higher and 0.892 g/km higher when burning LPG compared to the limit set by the Euro 4 Emission Standard. The difference is even greater than the limit value stated in the COC document. For other substances, the monitored values are in the norm and are even far below the permitted value

One of the most effective methods of limiting air pollution emissions by ships at a berth in a port is the power connection of ships to the on-shore system. “Shore to Ship” (STS)—A universal system for the connection of the ship’s electrical power network with the on-shore network—ensures the adoption of the voltage and frequency of the on-shore network for the exploitation of various types of ships in the port. The realization of such a system is possible due to the use of semiconductor technologies during the construction of mechatronic systems (i.e., systems that ensure the maintenance of electricity parameters). The STS system ensures energy efficiency for high-power ship systems through the use of an active semiconductor converter. This article presents an analysis of steady state electromagnetic and energy processes, allowing the determination of the active and reactive power and losses in the STS system. The presented analytical research enables the development of a control algorithm that optimizes the system energy efficiency. In the article, the control methods allowing the optimization of the energy characteristics of the system are considered and investigated. On the basis of theoretical studies, a model was developed in the Matlab-Simulink environment, which allowed us to study steady and transient processes in the STS system in order to reduce losses in power lines and semiconductor converters.

For the safety of the supply, diesel generator (DG) sets are used in various stand-alone power systems using variable-speed generators. The stand-alone hybrid grid system presented in this article, with a wind generator and a diesel generator, but also the system of a ship’s network, serves as an example. To ensure the safety of the ship’s exploitation, the parallel operation of two stand-alone power supplies is required. In parallel operation with the required symmetrical active power load (regardless of the load size), the internal combustion engine of the DG set is often underloaded. This leads to deterioration of its technical properties and, consequently, to a negative impact on the environment. This article presents an analysis of the stand-alone hybrid power system of a ship’s grid consisting of a DG with a speed and voltage regulator and a shaft generator of variable speed—a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). The possibility of controlling the active and reactive power distribution between the DG and shaft generator (SG) was also studied. Control over the mechatronic SG–DG system limits the harmful influence of the DG on the environment and, most of all, improves the technical qualities of the engine of the DG system, which is often underloaded. Analytic studies of the system were performed, and simulation results of the mechatronic model are presented.

The decisive source of air pollution emissions in ports is the berthed ships. This is primarily caused by the work of ship’s autonomous generator sets. One way of reducing the air pollution emissions in ports is the supply of ships from electricity inland system. The main problem connected with the power connection of ships to the inland network is caused by different values of levels and frequencies of voltages in these networks (in various countries) in relation to different values of levels and frequencies of voltages present in the ship’s network. It is also important that the source power can range from a few hundred kW up to several MW. In order to realize a universal „Shore to Ship” system that allows the connection of ships to the electricity inland network, the international standardization is necessary. This article presents the current recommendations, standards and regulations for the design of „Shore to Ship” systems.

The article presents and compares two different control methods for a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) for diesel–electric ship propulsion. The main focus of the article is on control optimization, which allows improving energy efficiency by reducing reactive power in the mechatronic propulsion system. The first method consists in modifying the commonly used field-oriented control (FOC) strategy to ensure zero reactive power in the inverter–PMSM system. Since a characteristic of ship propulsion systems, unlike those used on land, is the step load on the propulsion motor, the system’s performance in dynamic states is particularly important. Unfortunately, control strategies based on FOC do not take into account the dynamics of the system, since they apply only to steady states. Therefore, the authors of this paper, based on control theory methods, proposed an approach that also optimizes control in dynamic states, while minimizing reactive power in the steady state. The analytical studies were confirmed in simulation studies using the MATLAB Simulink package.