Designed for waves Platform Supply Vessels


are the ultimate challenge when it comes to ship


design. While calm water performance is important,


for these ships it is merely a reference value.


Harsh weather conditions and the corresponding sea states are the playground of the PSV and the


challenging circumstances dictate fuel consumption.


Harsh weather conditions and the corre- sponding sea states are the playground of the PSV and the challenging circumstances dictate fuel consumption. Havyard from Norway has understood this and asked MARIN to perform model test programmes for its two new vessels. The tests addressed all the important parameters that define a successful PSV design.


Contra-rotating thrusters For the assessment of the propulsive efficiency MARIN used its contra-rotating thruster set-up, which makes it possible to measure the thrust and torque of the front and rear propeller, as well as the thrust of the whole unit. This approach gives an accurate deter- mination of the propulsive performance and also provides the thruster supplier valuable data on the loading distribution between both propellers. In line with the objective to design a vessel for its actual service profile, the emphasis during the tests was on the service speed, rather than the maximum speed.


Klaas Kooiker k.kooiker@marin.nl 22 report


Added resistance in waves Once the calm water performance was known, the added resistance in waves was measured by means of dedicated tests in MARIN’s Seakeeping and Manoeuvring Basin. The approach to these tests and the innovative test programme was agreed upon through close cooperation between MARIN and Havyard’s experts. And despite the chal- lenges, the test programme was successful


and the results proved that the vessels could perform extremely efficiently in waves.


Sea trials Crucially, the performance prediction of these innovative ships derived from the model tests should be compared to the final performance obtained during sea trials. Havyard invited MARIN to perform and analyse the sea trials of one of the vessels, which offers a unique opportunity to study the correlation between the model and full-scale tests.


Performance in calm water was already assessed during sea trials and showed good results. However, for the performance in waves at full scale we are waiting for harsh weather conditions. The resulting correlation will then provide valuable information for both parties. MARIN looks forward to the long continuation of this fruitful cooperation.


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