Propulsion system considerations for research vessels

Research vessels are unique among ship types because of the extremely varied nature of their operating profiles and requirements. While most commercial ships and many naval vessels tend to operate in a transit condition at fairly constant speeds, research vessels encounter very different operating conditions depending on the nature of the scientific research being conducted. These varied profiles can put significantly different demands on a propulsion system and make it difficult to design a system that adequately satisfies all the requirements and is cost effective to operate.