DEVELOPMENT OF A 1:30 SCALE SAILING MODEL OF OCEANBIRD

With the current developments of wind powered and wind assisted vessels comes the need for realistic ship model testing. Traditional test methods of free sailing models are somewhat limited by the difficulties to mimic the effects of the wind propulsion systems or at least for recreating them at the correct scale. Simulations are possible but time consuming and they cannot grasp all aspects that free sailing models comprise. At the KTH Maritime Robotics Laboratory, a 1:30 scale model of Oceanbird was developed and equipped with numerous sensors to enable accurate and realistic measurements while sailing in unrestrained waters. The paper presents the model’s equipment and experimental results showing the abilities of the sailing demonstrator to gather high quality data for manoeuvring and aerodynamic studies. In particular, the definition of a zigzag manoeuvre for sailing ships is explained and results of tests are evaluated regarding manoeuvrability and aerodynamics.