A design framework for combined marine propulsion control systems: From conceptualisation to sea trials validation

The ship's dynamic performance (acceleration, turning ability, crash stop) strongly depends on both the propulsion system and its control. The steady-state performance analysis of propulsion systems has shown that onboard energy usage benefits from the employment of simulation techniques. Besides, these techniques provide significant advantages in designing the control logic of sophisticated and complex systems. The present work summarizes the research activities conducted to develop suitable simulation framework for the propulsion systems of naval vessels. Theoretical and mathematical models have thus been developed in this paper to simulate the propulsion of ships. Model-scale experiments and full-scale trials have been used to increase the fidelity of the models. The research outcome is a conceptual framework and a fully validated parametric software representing the vessel's dynamic behaviour and propulsion system in steady-state and abrupt manoeuvres. Thanks to this simulation framework, the propulsion control system could be designed, validated, and calibrated before its installation on board, reducing the commissioning time and minimising the propulsion control system's onboard calibration during the acceptance sea trials.