Modeling and identification of a ship propelled by two water jets

This paper deals with a simplified approach to modeling and parameters identification of the dynamics of a ship propelled by two water jets. The inputs are the commands to apply to the water jets including the two engines, the steering and reversing unit for each jet. The outputs of the studied system are variables that characterize the kinematics and the motion of the boat such as the speed, the heading, the course and the position in the horizontal plan. First a nonlinear model is found, then the parameters are identified based on sea trials data. Finally the model is validated by simulation using Matlab and Simulink in order to perform some control methods in a future work.