OVERVIEW

The teaching aims to present the systems, technologies, and physical and design principles underlying the propulsion of merchant and military naval vessels, with emphasis on sizing, catalog selection, and performance prediction.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course has the aim to describe the physical aspects and the rule-based and technological constraints of the main ship propulsion systems, in order to provide design tools.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• Explain the main regulations applicable to ship propulsion systems.
• Describe the main systems responsible for the propulsion of a ship, illustrating their operation by means of equations, and using appropriate technical language.
• Schematize a propulsion system, using graphical representation to describe the functional relationship between its constituent elements.
• Identify an appropriate propulsion scheme in response to a design requirement, giving reasons for the choices made.
• Make a preliminary sizing and catalog selection of components of a propulsion system in response to a design requirement and in accordance with regulations, realistically assuming information that may be missing.
• Calculate the performance of a propulsion system and make comparative evaluations between alternative solutions in response to a design requirement.
• Make approximate evaluations, known a limited number of data, supplementing them with knowledge of typical values and orders of magnitude of major plant parameters.

PREREQUISITES

Knowledge learned in the teachings of machinery, electrical engineering, construction science and hydrodynamics, and naval architecture are indispensable for understanding the teaching content.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures, tutorials and active learning.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Generalities and design principles related to ship propulsion

Methods for power prediction

Engines and drives for ship propulsion

Marine gearboxes

Fixed-blade propeller-engine matching

Propulsion systems with steerable-blade propellers

Combined and hybrid systems

Off-design conditions

The shaft line

Fuels for ship propulsion

Basics on nuclear propulsion

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Materials provided by the teacher on aulaweb, including notes, excerpts from standards, project guides, and component catalogs.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Consult the academic calendar of the course of study.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination consists of a written and an oral test:

Written design-type test lasting 3 hours. In the test, the candidate will be given some data and requirements of a propulsion system, and will be asked, for example, to schematize, design, size and evaluate one or more propulsion solutions. The exam is normally divided into 3-6 interconnected items. The written exam is “open-book,” so the use of manuals, handouts, books, regulations is allowed. Admission to oral examination with a minimum grade of 16/30.

Oral exam consisting of 2 open-ended questions on the course syllabus, in each of which the candidate must orally frame and illustrate one of the topics covered in the course by helping himself by representing the necessary diagrams and equations on the blackboard, and responding to any requests for clarification from the lecturer (approx. 15' per question). In order to pass the exam, both questions must be answered sufficiently.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written examination, with a strong design characterization, aims to ascertain the candidate's ability to solve design problems of relevant complexity, integrating information from different sources, including data, catalogs, experimental test results, regulations and manuals, in order to synthesize a solution, assuming missing data and resolving ambiguities, motivating and arguing the choices adopted.

The oral oral examination aims to test the student's ability to argue about the topics learned and to illustrate the more conceptual and theoretical aspects. The use of the blackboard allows to verify the student's ability to express himself with the help of graphical representations and equations. Finally, the test allows to verify the student's ability to make simple approximate quantitative evaluations in the absence of data and computational tools.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For other information not listed on the sheet, please contact the teacher.