Overview
ISO 15016:2025 - Ships and marine technology - Specifications for the assessment of speed and power performance by analysis of speed trial data - defines requirements for preparing, executing and reporting ship speed trials for displacement-type vessels with a length between perpendiculars (Lpp) of 50 m to 500 m. The standard provides a structured procedure to analyse, evaluate and correct speed trial data so that the relationship between speed, delivered power and propeller shaft speed can be assessed reliably under varying environmental and ship-condition influences.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 15016:2025 covers the full trial lifecycle and technical topics including:
- Trial preparation and responsibilities - roles of shipbuilders and the trial team; instrument installation and calibration; pre-trial meetings and agendas.
- Ship condition control - trim, displacement, hull/propeller/shaft condition and documentation.
- Trial boundary conditions - recommended criteria for location, wind, sea state, water depth and current measurement and limits.
- Trial procedure and conduct - run trajectories, run duration, steering, power settings, number and sequencing of speed runs (including iterative and mean-of-means methods).
- Data acquisition - system requirements, sensor locations, manual data collection and sign conventions.
- Analysis procedure - data processing steps, derivation of resistance and power curves, current analysis, and conversion to full-load or stipulated conditions.
- Corrections and annexes - normative methods for corrections and effects such as wind, waves, water temperature/density, current, shallow water, and displacement deviations; conversion and derivation of S/P (speed/power) curves; direct power method.
- Reporting and examples - required reporting content and an example analysis; trial log sheet and supporting informative scales (Beaufort/sea state).
Practical applications and users
ISO 15016:2025 is intended for:
- Shipbuilders and shipyards performing acceptance trials.
- Classification societies and flag administrations assessing compliance.
- Shipowners and operators verifying contractual speed and fuel-performance claims.
- Naval architects, performance analysts and trial teams conducting data acquisition and post-trial analysis.
The standard supports reliable verification of speed-power performance, contractual dispute resolution, fuel-efficiency studies and validation of model/tank test predictions.
Related standards
ISO 15016:2025 is part of the ISO suite for ships and marine technology and aligns with ISO/IEC editorial directives on document development. Users should apply it alongside other relevant ship performance, measurement and regulatory guidance (classification society rules, model test standards and national/IMO guidance) when planning and reporting sea trials.
Keywords: ISO 15016:2025, speed trials, speed-power performance, speed trial data, S/P curve, ship trials, displacement ships, trial corrections, data acquisition, marine technology.