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.