Development of a New Large Amplitude Planar Motion Mechanism at IMD

A new multi-purpose planar motion mechanism bas been commissioned for use at the Institute for Marine Dynamics in St John's. The mechanism has the capability of being installed in either the clear water towing tank or the ice tank allowing for the first time maneuvering studies in ice to be made in a systematic manner. The paper describes the features of the PMM, its instrumentation, digital control system, and analysis techniques used. The addition of the PMM compliments IMD's NAVSIM manoeuvring simulation software which is also briefly described. The PMM has a modular construction allowing it to serve multi-purpose applications in ice such as towing structures or buoys in curvilinear paths. The paper also describes a selection of conventional and non­conventional experiments conducted to date.