A voyage planning framework for energy performance analysis of autonomous inland waterway vessels

Autonomous inland waterway vessels (AIWVs) have emerged as a promising solution towards sustainable and intelligent waterborne transport. However, the unique constraints of inland waterways—such as limited manoeuvring space, shallow depth profiles, and water currents pose significant challenges for vessels’ navigational safety and energy efficiency. This study aims to develop and validate a simulation framework for energy-efficient autonomous vessel operations in complex inland waterways. To enhance shipping automation with optimal energy usage, this study presents the development of a novel, holistic voyage planning framework (VPF) specifically designed for inland waterway vessels to support both quantitative energy performance assessment and operational analysis. The operations of AIWVs are systematically examined, including ship design (energy performance modelling), manoeuvring modelling, control design, and energy prediction under various inland waterway scenarios. To capture the impact of riverbed topography on ship manoeuvrability and propulsion energy demand in meandering waterways, a new formula is proposed to model river hydraulics, incorporating cross-sectional shifts, current fields, deposition, and erosion effects. Several case studies are conducted under different operational modes to demonstrate the capability of the VPF to enable robust path-following control, dynamic energy prediction, and fuel consumption optimisation. The simulation results indicate that up to 5.7 % fuel savings can be achieved during near-bank operations in shallow water through operational speed optimisation. The proposed VPF can help to improve vessel operational efficiency and reduce energy consumption in confined inland waterways. Moreover, the findings can serve as a digital testbed for evaluating new vessel designs and retrofitting strategies aimed at enhancing automation and energy performance.