IMIS

A short overview of the infrastructure will be given, followed by a more detailed description of specific features that have been introduced to improve the quality and the efficiency of the testing facility, or to study specific effects. To guarantee the quality of the test results, the rails on which the carriage moves are aligned with high accuracy: the level difference of both rails and the lateral deflection of the guiding rail are less than 0.5 mm. The level difference over the whole length of the rails is less than 1 mm. Measuring techniques have been developed to evaluate the deflections regularly. A high level of accuracy is also imposed to the bottom, as navigation with a gross under keel clearance of 10% of draft is not exceptional. Recently the bottom was flattened so that the difference between the lowest and highest point of the bottom is less than 2 mm. Interaction test setup. To improve the quality of the mathematical model of the full mission bridge simulators, comprehensive ship-bank and ship-ship interaction tests have been executed. A description of the test setups developed for these purposes will be given. Free running model technology. Presently the facilities are being adapted to allow the execution of free running tests for validation of the mathematical models developed from captive manoeuvring tests. In this case, the planar motion mechanism is controlled to follow the free running model and the relative position between the carriage and the model is measured.