SIMULINK modeling of a marine autopilot for TSSE ship designs

Abstract

This thesis covers the design, simulation and analysis of a SIMULINK system designed to predict the maneuvering characteristics of the Total Ship System Engineering (TSSE) program's first proposed hull design. The system is developed in three degrees of freedom. The ship's hydrodynamic derivatives are predicted in MATLAB code, while the engine is modeled completely in a SIMULINK environment. To test the system's applicability, an underway replenishment scenario is used to simultaneously test the steering and engine control subsystems. Two controllers are employed in the system. The first is used to drive the ship in a fashion similar to that of a human conning officer during an underway replenishment. The other is a root locus design used to improve the engine's response.