ISO 15016:2015

Overview

ISO 15016:2015 - Ships and marine technology - provides standardized guidelines for assessing a ship’s speed and power performance by analysis of speed trial data. The standard defines procedures for preparing, executing, analysing and reporting speed and power trials so that contracted ship speed and Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) speed requirements can be verified. Applicability is limited to displacement-type ships.

Key reference conditions for EEDI performance are no wind, no waves, no current and deep water at 15 °C; ISO 15016:2015 specifies how to measure actual trial conditions and apply corrections when those ideal conditions aren’t met.

Key topics and requirements

• Responsibilities: clear allocation of duties among shipbuilders, trial teams and data analysts.
• Trial preparations: installation, calibration, trial agenda and pre-trial meetings.
• Ship condition: documentation of displacement, trim, hull and propeller condition.
• Boundary conditions: limits and measurements for wind, sea state, water depth and current.
• Trial procedures and conduct: run planning, ship track, steering, run duration and number of runs (iterative and mean-of-means approaches).
• Measurements & data acquisition: mandatory parameters (speed, shaft power/torque, propeller shaft speed), environmental sensors and minimum data logging requirements.
• Analysis procedures: deriving resistance data, evaluation of acquired data, direct power method, and corrections for current, shallow water, displacement, water temperature/density, wind and waves.
• Processing and reporting: standardized format for results and trial logs; annexes provide normative guidance (e.g., Beaufort scale, resistance due to wind/waves, shallow water effects).

Practical applications

• Verifying that a new ship meets contracted speed and EEDI requirements.
• Supporting sea trials and performance acceptance testing during ship delivery.
• Calibrating resistance/power curves for propulsion and fuel-consumption modelling.
• Providing evidence for classification societies, shipowners and regulatory bodies that performance claims are met.
• Informing post-delivery performance tuning, propeller selection and retrofit assessments.

Who uses this standard

• Shipbuilders and shipyards conducting acceptance trials
• Naval architects and performance engineers
• Trial teams and measurement specialists
• Classification societies and flag administrations
• Shipowners and technical managers verifying EEDI/compliance

Related standards and references

• ISO 15016:2015 is produced by ISO/TC 8 (Ships and marine technology). It is used alongside IMO EEDI regulations and classification society trial guidelines when verifying design and contractual speed/power performance.

Keywords: ISO 15016:2015, ship speed trials, speed and power trials, EEDI compliance, speed trial analysis, propeller shaft speed, environmental corrections, displacement ships.