Line-of-sight based great-circle route track-keeping control

To address the challenges of long voyages and the significant effects of Earth’s curvature on ocean navigation, this paper proposes, for the first time, a guidance and control strategy for great-circle routes based on Mercator projection nautical charts. First, a guidance strategy for great-circle routes is designed by combining the traditional line-of-sight (LOS) algorithm with spherical triangles. Tracking control is subsequently achieved through the integration of a closed-loop gain-scheduling algorithm. Next, the vessel’s position is transformed from a planar map to a Mercator projection nautical chart to better meet the practical needs of maritime engineering. Finally, the effectiveness of the designed guidance and control algorithm is verified through simulations. The experimental results show that the proposed guidance and control strategy can significantly enhance the stability of the vessel along the great-circle route, reduce navigation time and lower fuel consumption, demonstrating high navigation efficiency and economy.