Numerical study of propulsion system performance during ship acceleration

Ship acceleration manoeuvre is important in terms of safety and engine performance. Head seaways are one of the most challenging conditions for the ship propulsion. A detailed simulation of the propulsion system's transient response during dynamic acceleration in harsh conditions can result in a thorough investigation of the engine performance, a better management of control system and the monitoring of engine limiters application in real conditions. For the overall propulsion system performance assessment during ship acceleration, a computational tool has been developed that consists of a number of sub-systems for the simulation of engine, turbocharger, propeller components and their interaction. The developed tool has been first validated against available shop and sea trials data and subsequently it has been tested for the simulation of propulsion system performance during acceleration in dynamic conditions. Based on the simulation results, a sensitivity analysis has been performed for the investigation of the governor control unit limiters that apply on the engine during acceleration. As a result, the effect of engine governor limiters on the overall engine and hydrodynamic performance of the ship during acceleration is quantified and discussed.