High-Speed Craft Model Design, Data Acquisition and Environment Monitoring for Free-Running Tests

The majority of experimental research conducted on the hydrodynamics of High-Speed Crafts (HSC) has been done in towing tanks. This presents a couple of issues; towing facilities are expensive, and the ideal conditions of the tank create a disparity between experiment and open water performance. Free-running models tested in open water can overcome some of these limitations. This paper presents the detailed design of a free-running model for open water experimental application. The model development includes hull construction, design and integration of a propulsion & steering system, data acquisition system (DAQ) design and testing, as well as environmental monitoring methods.