Objectives As ship hybrid power systems become increasingly complex, a forward mechanism modeling method based on multi-loop feedback is proposed to improve model accuracy and performance, focusing on the coupling characteristics of mechanical and electrical systems.

Methods Firstly, taking a 7,500-ton inland bulk carrier operating on the Yangtze River as the research object, the topology and operating modes of its power system are analyzed. A diesel–gas–electric hybrid power system model is established in Simulink, accompanied by a rule-based energy management strategy and power controller design. Then, based on measured data, the applicability of the model is evaluated in terms of fuel consumption, speed control response, charge/discharge characteristics, power generation behavior, and ship–engine–propeller matching. Finally, the effectiveness of the Simulink model in energy management strategy development is assessed by comparison with existing power flow model and AMESIM model.

Results Simulation results indicate that the model exhibits excellent speed and power response characteristics, accurately reproducing the dynamic behavior of the target vessel within a margin of error less than 4%. The ship–engine–propeller matching characteristics under four operating modes are consistent with those of the actual vessel, effectively capturing the impact of intermediate losses, control dynamics, mode transitions, and converter disturbances on the energy management process. Moreover, the model supports real-time simulation on dSPACE with a time step of 0.001 s, demonstrating strong real-time performance.

Conclusions The research outcomes can serve as a reference for long-duration and full-operating-condition testing of energy management in multi-energy hybrid power systems.