Abstract:In order to solve the practical experiment measurement and data processing problems for ship maneuverability captive model tests, a hardware system is designed and set up, data processing algorithms are derived to obtain the hydrodynamic derivatives on-line. A comprehensive measuring system is developed as well as the measuring schemes; to achieve precise timing at zero-phase angle for starting data acquisition, a high-speed infrared photoelectric switch is employed with the help of the trigger function of the data acquisition card, and a scheme is proposed to ensure integral number of motion period. Utilizing Least-Square-Fitting and Fourier-Analysis methods, data analysis algorithms are derived to fulfill the object of identifying ship maneuverability derivatives. A measuring and analysis software program, as the key object of this paper, is coded, which meets the practical requirements of captive model tests with satisfaction, its main and elementary functions are implemented internally with little outer dependency, the program requires little human interference and achieve an agreeable level of automation. Model experiment is carried out to demonstrate the hardware and software system, which yields agreeable results. Meanwhile, the results show that the ship’s derivative Yv is pretty close to its inertial mass, and the derivatives Yr',Nv' are a minor value.