B6389 - Marine Power and Auxiliary Systems – A

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will:

• have acquired appropriate knowledge and a sound understanding of the characteristics of marine propulsion systems;
• be able to apply the acquired knowledge and to understand and solve problems related to the design and operation of propulsion systems;
• have acquired the relevant technical terminology in both Italian and English, enabling them to communicate clearly and effectively with specialist and non-specialist audiences;
• have developed the learning skills required to independently explore the main topics covered by the course, particularly in view of the continuous updating required by the discipline.

Course contents

Marine propulsion systems

• Introduction to and architecture of marine propulsion systems: typical configurations, main components and general design criteria.
• Marine propulsors: fixed- and controllable-pitch propellers, ducted propellers, counter-rotating propellers and alternative configurations; application areas, advantages and limitations.
• Propulsion chain: transmitted power, efficiencies, engine margin and sea margin.
• Marine fuels: properties, applications, environmental aspects and the regulatory framework governing emissions.
• Propulsion-system matching: determination of ship–propeller–engine operating points and prediction of performance and operational range.
• Energy efficiency: performance indicators, improvement of hydrodynamic efficiency, energy recovery and innovative technological solutions.
• Mechanical transmission: gearbox, shaft line, supports, thrust bearings and sealing devices; design criteria and principal verification procedures.

Ship auxiliary systems

• Functional classification and general design criteria.
• International regulatory framework: IMO, SOLAS, MARPOL and applicable technical standards.
• Basic components: valves, centrifugal and positive-displacement pumps, hydraulic matching and pressure losses.
• Bilge and drainage systems.
• Fresh-water production, storage and distribution.
• Black- and grey-water collection and treatment.
• Exhaust-gas systems, silencers and back-pressure verification.
• Manoeuvring and steering systems: types, moment balance, preliminary sizing and commercial selection.

Autonomous and unmanned marine systems

• Functional architecture of an unmanned marine system: platform, sensors, actuators, propulsion, control, communication and supervision.
• Model-based design methodologies for the design, simulation, validation and implementation of control systems.
• Electric propulsion-system architectures for unmanned marine vehicles.
• Estimation and optimisation of the performance of electric displacement vehicles: speed, power, operational range and best-range speed.

Readings/Bibliography

Brown, A. J. (2020), Design of Marine Engineering Systems in Ship Concept Design, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.

Woud, J. K. and Stapersma, D. (2002), Design of Propulsion and Electric Power Generation Systems, IMarEST.

Marine Engineering, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.

Fossen, T. I. (2021), Handbook of Marine Craft Hydrodynamics and Motion Control, 2nd ed., Wiley.

Lecture notes, scientific papers, technical documentation and exercises provided by the instructors through the Virtuale platform.

Teaching methods

The course combines lectures, numerical exercises, case-study analysis, and computer-based modelling and simulation activities.

Students will apply marine-engineering principles to propulsion-chain sizing, auxiliary-system analysis, and the energy assessment of conventional, electric and hybrid propulsion systems. Part of the course will address autonomous and unmanned marine systems through practical examples, demonstration equipment and a guided model-based design exercise.

MATLAB and Simulink will be used to develop simplified system models, assess energy performance and simulate control systems. During the practical activity, students will develop and analyse a control structure inspired by Pixhawk/PX4 architectures for a marine vehicle.

Assessment methods

Assessment consists of a written examination and an oral examination.

The written examination assesses the student’s ability to apply theoretical principles and calculation methods to problems concerning:

• propulsion-chain sizing and analysis;
• ship–propeller–engine matching;
• energy performance and operational range;
• preliminary sizing of auxiliary systems;
• modelling and analysis of electric and autonomous propulsion systems.

The oral examination assesses the student’s overall understanding of the course topics, ability to establish connections among marine systems, propulsion, performance and control, and correct use of technical terminology.

The final mark is based on the combined assessment of the two examinations.

Final-mark criteria

• 18–19: Partial and fragmented knowledge; application of the methods is possible only with substantial assistance; basic presentation and communication skills.
• 20–24: Adequate knowledge of the fundamental topics; ability to solve standard problems; generally correct use of technical terminology.
• 25–29: Good knowledge of the course contents; independent application of the methods; ability to analyse and establish connections among the different topics.
• 30–30 with honours: Complete and thorough knowledge; ability to independently address complex problems, critically discuss assumptions and results, and integrate system, energy and control aspects.

Teaching tools

Teaching activities are supported by presentations, board work, technical and demonstration equipment, numerical models, and simulation environments. MATLAB and Simulink will be used for exercises concerning modelling, performance analysis and control-system design.

Teaching material will be made available through the Virtuale platform.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Coraddu

See the website of Emanuele Luigi De Angelis