Introduction of MMG standard method for ship maneuvering predictions

TLDR

Many MMG‑based ship maneuvering simulation methods exist, yet their hydrodynamic force data are often incompatible across methods, prompting the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers to form a committee that proposed the MMG standard method. This article introduces the MMG standard method, aiming to provide a common basic framework for ship maneuvering simulations. The method consists of four elements—simulation model, captive test procedure, coefficient analysis, and full‑scale prediction—and is applied to a KVLCC2 tanker, where captive test data are analyzed and used to run simulations for both model and full‑scale validation. The method successfully reproduces the KVLCC2 tanker’s maneuvering motions and proves useful for full‑scale predictions.

Abstract

Abstract A lot of simulation methods based on Maneuvering Modeling Group (MMG) model for ship maneuvering have been presented. Many simulation methods sometimes harm the adaptability of hydrodynamic force data for the maneuvering simulations since one method may be not applicable to other method in general. To avoid this, basic part of the method should be common. Under such a background, research committee on “standardization of mathematical model for ship maneuvering predictions” was organized by the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers and proposed a prototype of maneuvering prediction method for ships, called “MMG standard method”. In this article, the MMG standard method is introduced. The MMG standard method is composed of 4 elements; maneuvering simulation model, procedure of the required captive model tests to capture the hydrodynamic force characteristics, analysis method for determining the hydrodynamic force coefficients for maneuvering simulations, and prediction method for maneuvering motions of a ship in fullscale. KVLCC2 tanker is selected as a sample ship and the captive mode test results are presented with a process of the data analysis. Using the hydrodynamic force coefficients presented, maneuvering simulations are carried out for KVLCC2 model and the fullscale ship for validation of the method. The present method can roughly capture the maneuvering motions and is useful for the maneuvering predictions in fullscale.