Development of an Experimental Methodology for a Self-Propulsion Test with a Marine Diesel Engine Simulator and a Controllable Pitch Propeller

The controllable pitch propeller (CPP) is added to the experimental methodology for the self-propulsion model test in waves with the MDES (Marine Diesel Engine Simulator). The MDES is a real-time control system of the propeller rotating speed, reflecting the characteristics of a marine diesel engine. By using this methodology, we can measure not only a ship's motion responses, but also the realistic dynamic responses of a ship's propulsion system in waves, such as the propeller load, the rotating speed fluctuation, and the fuel supply rate of the main engine, etc. As one of the additional functions of this methodology, we developed a model of a controllable pitch propeller (CPP), which is driven by the MDES. The transient response of the engine to the variation of the propeller pitch angle can be reproduced. By using this model CPP and the MDES, we conducted a self-propulsion model test in waves at the Actual Sea Model Basin at the National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI). This paper introduces the outline of the model CPP and the results of the experiment.