# Modeling and Key Parameter Interaction Analysis for Ship Central Cooling Systems
## 1 Introduction  
Under the dual pressures of continuously growing global energy demand and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, improving energy efficiency and controlling emissions from ships, as key transportation tools, have become a central focus for the industry [1, 2, 3]. The ship's central cooling system is not only a core auxiliary system ensuring the stable operation of the power plant, but its operational energy consumption also constitutes a significant portion of the ship's total energy consumption [4, 5, 6]. Therefore, in-depth research and the establishment of accurate energy consumption prediction models for the ship's central cooling system are of crucial importance and practical value for effectivelyevaluating energy efficiency levels, exploring energy-saving potential, and optimizing operational management. Existing research widely suggests that applying variable speed drive (VSD/VFD) technology can significantly improve the energy efficiency and operational efficiency of ship cooling systems. For instance, analysis by [PERSON] et al. [5] indicates that VSD/VFD technology, by effectively adjusting pump speed according to cooling demand, can significantly reduce energy consumption and enhance system efficiency while meeting operating requirements. Research by [PERSON] et al. [7] also confirms this point and further emphasizes the technology's good adaptability under varying operating conditions. However, it is noteworthy that the energy-saving potential of VSD/VFD technology is not always automatically realized; its full benefit realization heavily relies on advanced control strategies and precise system adjustment. Addressing this, [PERSON] et al. [8] focused on ship central freshwater cooling systems, and to further enhance their energy efficiency control level, they proposed and validated an optimized control scheme using a merchant marine training vessel as a platform. Their study first deeply analyzed the existing system, identified key areas for energy efficiency improvement, and consequently designed an improved control strategy. Subsequent sea trial results demonstrated that the scheme can effectively reduce the energy consumption of cooling water pumps and significantly improve the overall operational efficiency of the system. To better guide such optimization practices and accurately evaluate their benefits, [PERSON] et al. [9] developed a model-based method specifically for assessing the energy-saving potential of seawater pumps after adopting VSD/VFD technology. This research successfully achieved a quantitative assessment of energy efficiency improvement before and after the technological modification by integrating system-level modeling with actual operating data, thereby providing strong theoretical support for optimizing VSD pump operation strategies and designing more energy-efficient solutions. Similarly, in the field of general pump systems, [PERSON] et al. [10] also developed a modeling and simulation-based VFD energy efficiency assessment method. This method, by comparatively analyzing the energy consumption differences between VFD and constant speed pumps under different operating conditions, provided valuable reference for quantifying the energy-saving potential of VFD in various pump applications, including ship cooling systems, and for their optimized configuration. Furthermore, the precise control achieved through VSD/VFD technology not only yielded significant energy savings but also helped reduce equipment wear, which can potentially lead to reduced maintenance costs and ultimately enhance the overall reliability of the system [11]. The advantage of VSD/VFD technology in adapting to different operating conditions is particularly prominent. For instance, studies by [PERSON] et al. [12] and [PERSON] et al.