A Method of Propulsion Plant Performance Evaluation for Marine Applications

A performance evaluation system for a steam-propelled merchant ship is described which utilizes a general-purpose computer for data acquisition and analysis. The performance of the steam plant on the ship´s maiden voyage is used as the performance base line, and subsequent evaluations are referenced to this base line. The diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of the system are presented in a description of the graphical display of the historical and real-time data. The operating costs of the vessel are reduced since effective maintenance planning and scheduling can be accomplished, resulting in greater ship availability.