Preliminary Design of a Roll-Stabilization System for a Ship

Abstract

The roll stabilization of a ship with servo-operated fins is analyzed as a system problem from the viewpoint of a control engineer. The preliminary design of a roll-damping system for a particular passenger ship is set forth. The roll-angle response to a sinusoidal sea-torque is analyzed, and the improvement made by the roll-damping system is evaluated. A rate gyro of good resolution and a damped pendulum are adequate for roll-sensing instrumentation. A preliminary design for a valve-controlled fin servo is made, but it is so wasteful of power that a pump-controlled fin servo is designed as an alternative. Energy aspects of control systems in general are considered briefly.