Marine Vessel Models in Changing Operational Conditions - A Tutorial

This tutorial paper provides an introduction, from a systems perspective, to the topic of ship motion dynamics of surface ships. It presents a classification of parametric models currently used for monitoring and control of marine vessels. These models are valid for certain vessel operational conditions (VOC). However, since marine systems operate in changing VOCs, there is a need to adapt the models. To date, there is no theory available to describe a general model valid across different VOCs due to the complexity of the hydrodynamic involved. It is believed that system identification could provide a significant contribution towards obtaining such a general model. Therefore, the main aim of the paper is to highlight the essential characteristics of marine system dynamics so as to provide a background for practitioners who would attempt future application of system identification techniques to marine systems.