International Marine Design Conference

Supplementing Industry-Specific Dynamic Positioning Requirements to Network Theory

2024-05-13T20:41:42+00:00

The trend towards fully autonomous navigation or reduced manning concepts, coupled with increased integration and interdependence of onboard systems due to the shift towards sustainable fuels and ever-increasing electrification and automation, has stressed the significance of ship systems’ reliability. These developments reinforce the demand for a clear assessment of the robustness of main and auxiliary systems in early-stage ship design. Network theory offers a promising approach to address this demand. However, current graph measures do not align with industry-specific requirements for improving system robustness. This study aims to augment robustness evaluation components, such as modularity (independent subsys-tems), redundancy and reconfigurability, with additional considerations specific to Dynamic Positioning (DP) applications in the maritime industry. The enhanced robustness evaluation components are translated into graph measures. By employing these graph measures, different systems can be compared with respect to robustness, enabling informed decision-making in the trade-offs typical to early stages of the design pro-cess (e.g., cost versus redundancy). The proposed methodology combines the principles of network theory and industry-specific DP requirements to provide a comprehensive framework for evaluating the robustness of ship systems. System reliability can be assessed by integrating the identified robustness components and incorporating them into the graph measures. The early findings of this study show the potential to improve ship design processes by providing a systematic and quantifiable approach to enhance robustness.

Early Risk Quantification Strategy for Design Space Reduction Decisions in Set-Based Design

2024-05-20T07:24:30+00:00

Perceptions of feasibility in design spaces are susceptible to change if new and conflicting information becomes available later. Design space reduction decisions made in set-based design can amplify vulnerability to new information if remaining design spaces and present perceptions are unable to adapt. This paper considers different ways new information can alter perceptions of feasibility for complex design problems and introduces an early, probabilistic strategy for quantifying the risk of eliminating potential design solutions based on the vulnerability of remaining design spaces to new information. Emergent designs of a set-based design process gauging this risk are evaluated against one neglecting it for an analogous design problem. Early results indicate that the probabilistic model is able to effectively delay design decisions and prevent lock-in while design space understanding is still growing.

Overall Scheme Design of Green Typical Demonstration Ship Types under the Background of Double-Carbon Policy

2024-05-23T21:12:40+00:00

In order to explore the overall design and research issues of green typical demonstration ship types, this article takes Hunan Province's green typical demonstration ship types as an example. Using a combination of policy interpretation, research analysis, theoretical analysis, and overall design, with the Double Carbon Policy as the background, the overall positioning analysis of the ship type is conducted first. Then, the key technical features and application solutions of the ship type will be introduced to ultimately achieve the goal of matching the design ship type with the waterway conditions

Capability driven vulnerability analysis of a naval combatant

2024-05-19T16:20:27+00:00

This paper presents a fine-tuned approach to vulnerability assessment, focusing on protecting capabilities instead of individual systems and their components. The foundation of this method is a system model which uses functional chains to identify the contribution of individual systems towards to fulfilment of the ships capabilities. The key advantage of using functional chains is that by showing that individual functions can still be fulfilled, it is demonstrated that the vital capability containing those functions remains available. This paper first explains the theory behind the methodology and then demonstrates its working principles using a generalized case study for a single capability.

Integration of the methanol power propulsion and energy systems’ temporal uncertainties in a Markov decision process framework

2024-05-21T19:12:37+00:00

The ongoing technological development of methanol energy converters (EC) towards decarbonization means that their dimensions and performance characteristics will be continually updated during the lifecycle of vessels currently designed. These advancements influence the ease of EC integration within the general arrangement of the vessel. The decision to switch from an internal combustion engine to a fuel cell or a hybrid configuration depends both (1) the technology adoption costs (i.e. CAPEX, OPEX) of the EC and (2)
on the effect of EC on the actual engine room layout. The state-of-the-art literature has typically addressed these two challenges separately. This study proposes a design method to bridge these two fields by combining the use of (1) Markov decision processes to assess uncertain future methanol EC developments during the vessel lifecycle and (2) a generative probabilistic layout algorithm to quantify the risks associated with the EC systems layout integration. The case study identifies the drivers behind the EC technology choice during the lifecycle of a notional yacht vessel.

Static hydroelastic study of composite T-foils with beam and lifting line models

2024-05-26T10:16:09+00:00

Well-designed hydrofoils improve ship resistance and seakeeping by lifting the hull above the water. With greater speeds come greater loads, and the two-way interaction of structural deflections of lifting surfaces on the hydrodynamics must be considered. Tailored structural anisotropy can improve hydrodynamic and structural efficiency of lifting surfaces compared to rigid counterparts by exploiting the layup of composite materials. Structural efficiency here means reduced risk of structural failure for a given amount of material, and hydrodynamic efficiency means lower drag. A T-foil is a prototypical multi-component appendage, consisting of the foil wing and the strut, which we investigate in this work. We use simple composite beam and lifting line theory to explore the static fluid-structure interaction of a composite T-foil for a variety of fiber angles (θf = 0˝ , ˘15˝ ). We apply a simple approximation on lift coefficient at infinite Froude number (F n) to model the free-surface effects, which is valid at high depth-based Froude numbers (F nh ą
10a h/c) when CL is independent of F nh and the inertial effects dominate. Results for the moth rudder T-foil geometry studied here indicate that aligning composite fibers towards the leading edge results in a more hydrostructurally efficient foil and that free-surface effects are minor because of the large submergence for this flow condition.

Functional analysis of speed, battery pack capacities and chargers of small electric ships

2024-05-07T13:41:02+00:00

Electric propulsion refers to propulsion using a combination of an electric motor and batteries. Electric motors powered by batteries represent a significant solution within the broader context of sustainability, energy efficiency, and technological advancement. As energy containers, batteries are characterized by low energy and power density and are currently not considered suitable for use on large displacement ships. Consumption of electric ships depends on numerous factors and the performance of the vessel's energy system requires great attention. The basic limitations are the ship’s size and speed, the built-in capacity of the batteries, charging infrastructure, and sailing distance. These limitations are discussed and justified in two case studies in which the existing diesel-powered ships are replaced with electric ones.

Digital Twin-Enabled Response Function Analysis: A Synthetic Approach to Ship's Propulsion System Assessment

2024-05-20T07:13:54+00:00

Analyzing the behavior of vessels in actual sea conditions is crucial for conceptual system design, safety and energy efficiency considerations. However, the essential seakeeping problem is reduced to the analysis of wave-hull interactions often neglecting consideration of the propulsion. But in the meantime, the synthetic consideration of wave–propulsion interactions is a key for safety and energy efficiency. Furthermore, safety evaluation of a ship's design with reduced propulsion power in adverse seas is vital for
risk management. Response functions are commonly used to estimate propulsion system responses in incoming seaways. This paper proposes a synthetic approach using digital twin technology for rapid response function estimation. It introduces a companion linearized state-space model linked with the digital twin, enabling immediate retrieval of coefficients for response function analysis at the desired operating point. This integrated methodology provides a comprehensive representation of ship propulsion behavior in wave environments, offering a comprehensive framework for system performance assessment.

Operational Matrix Framework for Energy Balance Analysis for Early Stage Design of Complex Vessels

2024-05-23T21:04:05+00:00

Considering vital ship systems or distributed ship service systems at the early stage of complex vessels is a challenging task. The recent UCL Network Block Approach aimed to enable ship designer to address ship systems design synthesis simultaneously as a logical network using MATLAB with a CPLEX Toolbox in MATLAB and representative piping, cabling, and trunking routings on the physical description of the ship using a proven CASD tool PARAMARINESURFCON. This was possible due to adopting a set of frameworks, as part of this comprehensive approach. The paper presents one of the frameworks: the Operational Matrix,
to formulate distributed ship service systems network in the early stage design of complex vessels. The application of the framework could take on many forms and can be manipulated to suit a specific distributed ship service system’s design. In this paper, a tutorial is given, leading from the simplest application of the Operational Matrix Framework to an example of a complex Operational Matrix application for the 3D multiplex submarine systems problem. The use of the proposed Operational Matrix Framework is shown to reveal the relationship between objective functions, constraints, bounds, and solutions of that linear programming formulation. The
Operational Matrix Framework can enable the solvers (CPLEX Toolbox in MATLAB) to be very efficient in advancing early stage ship design applications. The Framework could be developed further for investigating the analysis of energy balances for new systems to achieve net zero energy demands for future naval vessels.

Wither now the Design Building Block (DBB) Approach

2024-05-27T05:50:57+00:00

A description of the Design Building Block approach (DBB) was first published at IMDC1997, followed by a practical realisation presented at IMDC2003, both emphasised 3D as a key element of dialogue and creativity in early ship design. The current article celebrates, at the 15th IMDC, this architecturally driven ship synthesis approach with an overview of its fundamentals, followed by a suggestion for an open, collaborative and web-based implementation, and then provides examples that can be used when teaching
the approach in ship design. The paper’s first part covers the basics of this UCL-developed method, with an overview of the processes, terminology, flow of ship design information, key analyses and key examples published in the literature. The second part focus on an initial attempt to compile a version of this method that can be adapted and implemented in other academic environments, outside the original scope, which was focused on the early stage design of a range of innovative naval vessels. This part of the paper includes an
extension of the current taxonomy to commercial vessels, as well as an adapted approach that can be used for ship design teaching and research. Additionally, a compilation of open online stepwise examples is presented, using the NTNU-developed web-based library Vessel.js. These examples cover the basic steps to teach the use of and to readily modify DBB for environments outside the constraints more applicable to multirole naval vessels. The paper concludes with a summary of its main intentions, emphasising the current
gap that it is seen to fulfil by compiling the key DBB derived information in a single document. This is then followed by open and online examples that can be readily accessed, modified and expanded.

Application of Sampling Methods for Constrained Space in Hull Form Optimization

2024-05-18T22:10:31+00:00

Use of approximation models instead of direct application of CFD tools plays a crucial role in hull form optimization to enhance efficiency. The selection of sample points directly impacts the accuracy and cost of approximation models, and the effectiveness of hull form optimization. This paper presents a sampling method based on constrained space. The distribution pattern of the constrained space is initially analyzed, and its boundary is subsequently extracted by the Support Vector Machine (SVM), providing guidance for
the subsequent sample selection. To ensure effective sampling within the constrained space, the maximum minimum distance criterion is employed. The proposed methodology is validated via a case study involving a 13,000DWT inland twin-screw bulk carrier. The Kriging approximation model is constructed to optimize the hull form while adhering to specific constraint conditions, thereby demonstrating the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed approach.

Industry 5.0: Transforming ship design through human-centered approach

2024-05-21T19:00:00+00:00

Industry 5.0 heralds a paradigm shift by reinstating the significance of human centricity alongside technology. Incorporating human collaboration into the design methodology aligns with general project management methodology and addresses the imperative of facilitating sustainable goals in the industry. Focusing on human skills and aspirations offers a viable path to expedite the adoption of new technology into the mainstream, aligning with the evolving needs of the shipbuilding industry and green targets of society development. The article delves into the implications of the Shipbuilding 5.0 paradigm to design process and methodology, the potential changes it brings, and the potential benefits it can offer to the evolution of the shipbuilding industry.

Simulation-based evaluation of concepts for short sea shipping of green hydrogen

2024-05-24T18:36:14+00:00

In this study, a simulation-based approach is applied to develop concepts for short sea shipping of green hydrogen and to assess their overall energy efficiency. The study is conducted as a case study involving production of green hydrogen at an offshore site in the North Sea. Hydrogen produced at the site is first transported by pipeline to a port-based intermediate storage facility, from where it is transported onwards by ship. For the onward transport, four different hydrogen carriers are considered, namely compressed hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, ammonia, and a liquid organic hydrogen carrier.

Digital sailmate: enhancing safety through low-cost stability monitoring in artisanal fishing

2024-05-20T06:59:52+00:00

Despite overall mortality decreasing, offshore fishing remains one of the riskiest work-based activities worldwide. For example, fishing communities in East Africa have a 43-fold higher rate of drowning than the general population. A lack of safety culture and knowledge around vessel stability contributes to this issue. Formal safety measures can be difficult to enforce, especially in small scale and subsistence fishing activities dominated by small artisanal boats. Digital technologies hold potential to effectively improve fishing safety. A digital safety device based on commonly held and relatively low-cost consumer products such as smartphones can provide increasing information to fishers enabling more informed safety decisions to be taken during vessel use. This paper proposes the algorithms for a prototype device to monitor stability of fishing vessels, with focus on the capabilities of low-fidelity data in stability
assessment. The findings of experimental results at model and full scale are presented. The research indicates that an inclining test can be carried out with minimal training or knowledge base to allow an adequate stability assessment of a vessel before departure on a fishing trip. This baseline measure can then be used to track stability whilst underway as vessel motion is recorded and processed continually updating the stability assessment.

On empirical methods to predict the rolling period of ships

2024-05-23T20:54:18+00:00

A reliable prediction of the roll period is crucial, as it forms the basis of the calculation of the roll motion and transverse accelerations. Both are extremely important for the comfort and safety of passengers and crew as well as the loads on the cargo and their lashings. At present, some prediction methods are quite unreliable, with sometimes errors in the predicted roll period of 5 to 10 s. This paper describes and compares eight methods. It shows that the four best performing methods have a mean absolute error of less than 1.4 s for the three validation cases evaluated, making them considerably more reliable than some of the other methods used in the industry.

Using a design exploration model to assess the global techno-economic feasibility of far offshore green hydrogen production towards 2050

2024-05-27T05:38:50+00:00

With space constraints onshore, strong renewable resources available far offshore and growing green hydrogen demand, far offshore green hydrogen production may be an attractive option. To assess this potential, a mixed integer quadratically constraint programming (MIQCP) optimization model was developed to find the cost per kilogram of far offshore green hydrogen in specific scenarios. The design of the far offshore green hydrogen supply chain was optimized with this model for six high potential scenarios in varying locations and the results were analyzed. It was found that far offshore green hydrogen costs are in the same order of magnitude as the costs of its alternatives. Far offshore green hydrogen may be considered marginally competitive with these alternatives from 2035 onwards in the analyzed scenarios when taking into account the considerable advantages of far offshore production, such as avoidance of scarce land usage in crowded areas and certain geopolitical considerations.

An evaluation of system modularity and interface standards as a means for continued platform level relevance

2024-05-18T21:58:18+00:00

This paper will develop a descriptive working definition of modularity regarding ship systems. An effort will be made to expose the underlying motivation and attractiveness of modularity in naval vessels utilizing economic salvage value and continued operational relevancy. A survey of 50 years of modern system development in support of modularity will be supported by a historical case study. The historical analogy will focus on the concurrent development of platforms and weapon systems during the age of sail. Specific focus will be given to platform developments and the advent of marine artillery and their associated technological development. The insight developed will then be applied to two modern naval corollaries.

Improve Ship Design Success by Utilising Proactive Elicitation to Enhance Communication Among Diverse Stakeholders

2024-05-21T18:49:19+00:00

Ships serve as crucial tools for maritime transportation and account for over 80% of global trade. However, the boundary between naval architecture and the maritime industry has existed for 150 years since the first Industrial Revolution. Despite the current ship design processes ensuring compliance with standards, a significant gap exists in effectively communicating and incorporating diverse stakeholders' expectations and desires during the ship design process. This communication gap may lead to a potential risk for incidents and compromise safety. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes to use proactive elicitation as a means to enhance the communication between various stakeholders and naval architects. To verify the impact of proactive elicitation on ship design success, discrete event models were developed in the study to simulate the ship design process. The simulation results demonstrated that the earlier the proactive elicitation is applied to ship design, the higher the level of design success can be achieved. In the short term, this approach can assist shipyards in the timely delivery of ships, while in the long term, it fosters improved compatibility between stakeholders and ships, enabling effective adaptation to future complex design conditions.

Simulation Method of Decarbonization of International Shipping for Evaluating the Impact of Possible Regulation Limiting GHG Intensity of Marine Fuels

2024-05-23T22:29:58+00:00

This study explored how the GHG fuel standard (GFS) regulation affects international shipping quantitatively by simulating future fleet transformation, fuel consumption, and well-to-wake GHG emissions based on an inputted GHG fuel intensity pathway and scenario of transportation demand, fuel availability and costs, and technology availability. The method comprisesthree steps: calculating the amount of scrapped and built ships, allocating fuel type and mix, and calculating fuel consumption. We simulated how the regulation changes fleet composition and the mix of fuel consumption. From the perspective of feasibility and alternative fuels’ availability, some meaningful insights to implement the GFS regulation were delivered.

Exploring the Opportunities of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Concept Ship Design

2024-05-06T14:17:00+00:00

Designing vessels is a complex process requiring the consideration of numerous aspects to develop a successful design. Ship and submarine design often requires the designer to approximate, make assumptions, consider scenarios and imagine how the vessel may be used in operation. Having the ability to consult for feedback or request additional information may be a welcome aid. The onset of Generative AI (GENAI) presents a new opportunity to integrate this resource into the workflows of the concept ship design process. Augmenting the design process could have a positive impact on the outcome of the design, further improving various qualities such as performance, sustainability, equality, diversity and inclusion. Aspects associated with weight groups, payload catalogues, technical analysis and layout set out will be explored to investigate whether GENAI could add value to the design process. A case study will be used to facilitate this investigation, taking note of GENAI’s content throughout the process.

Designing a marine systems design specialization track at NTNU

2024-05-20T06:49:24+00:00

In this paper we describe and discuss the current and future MSc specialization programme in marine systems design at the Norwegian University for Science and Technology (NTNU). We follow the structure of a design process. First, we identify relevant stakeholders. That includes industry, society and the students themselves, and we discuss what are their key needs and requirements for a master level education. Further, we outline what can be considered a conceptual solution for the marine systems design specialization programme´s structure and content. We apply two basic types of learning elements. First, a set of focused topic blocks covering central systems design models and methods to develop the required theoretical competence platform. Second, the students perform a series of creative, 'use case'-oriented collaborative development projects based on CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) principles. We discuss the “educational design solution” in terms of learning objectives vs. achieved results and evaluate the impact both from an academic and an industrial perspective.

New Conventions: Intentional Implementation of Set-Based Design Leveraging Limited Point-Based Approaches

2024-05-23T16:15:04+00:00

This article communicates a practical application of Set-Based Design (SBD) during its adoption within the U.S. Navy’s latest surface ship design processes. It highlights how the team harnessed SBD to explore the vast design space and make critical decisions. Intriguingly, the article explores the design team’s use of point-based designs(PBD), a counterintuitive approach within the context of SBD. It delves into the rationale behind their implementation and the diverse purposes they serve in bridging knowledge gaps such as
prototyping, integration, and evaluation of set interfaces. Furthermore, the article presents a preliminary ontology outlining various use cases for these PBDs. A key focus of this article is understanding how these PBDs coexist within the larger set-based construct while recognizing their inherent differences. The article examines the utility and boundaries of this approach, shedding light on the pragmatic interplay.

The method to navigate the forward and backward path of a towing tractor for transporting aircraft

2024-05-27T05:29:35+00:00

Aircraft carriers are the backbone of the Navy. They are equipped with aircraft, and their ability to take off and land aircraft quickly and efficiently determines their performance. Therefore, the number of aircraft is a key consideration in the design of an aircraft carrier and ensuring that they can be operated in the space of the aircraft carrier is an important factor in the arrangement design as well. On the other hands, towing tractors are used to move aircraft around. Towing tractors must safely move aircraft in open spaces while
avoiding multiple obstacles, which requires skilled operators. In this study, we propose a method to automate the path of a towing tractor and then follow it. First, we studied the kinematics of the towing tractor and aircraft carrier, considering the wheel movement and steering angle. Then, we calculated the optimal path of the tractor and aircraft considering both forward and backward motion. Finally, we applied dynamics to verify that the towing tractor and aircraft carrier could follow the calculated path. We tested the proposed method in a field with various obstacles and in a narrow area such as a parking lot and confirmed that it was effective.

Ammonia bunker vessel: ship design for energy transition

2024-05-18T21:36:42+00:00

This paper presents the basic design of a coastal ammonia carrier, intended to facilitate the energy transition by providing small-scale bunkering services to ferries in the South Baltic Sea. Due to the size and the purpose of the ship, a classic design process which builds on the experience and benefits from the prototype ships cannot be implemented in a straightforward manner. It follows that the energy transition may have a substantial impact on the design of otherwise conventional ship types, and that a hybrid approach to ship design comprising traditional design methodologies, advanced CAD tools, and experimentation is needed.

Hybrid and Alternative Fuel Power Management Systems in Ships – Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Assessment

2024-05-21T18:28:27+00:00

This paper addresses the maritime industry's imperative to cut greenhouse gas emissions by exploring hybrid propulsion systems for bulk carrier vessels, specifically focusing on battery systems and hybridized conventional four-stroke generator engines. Utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and MARCOS decision-making method, the study evaluates diverse factors, including capital and operational expenditures, risk, emissions, bunkering availability, and weight. The research delves into different power management
system topologies, such as conventional diesel engines, ammonia, and methanol-fueled engines, along with battery hybrids. The study underscores the methodological significance of decision-making tools and anticipates that evolving regulations will drive the maritime industry towards carbon neutrality through hybrid power management systems.

Ship system design changes for the transition to hydrogen carriers

2024-05-23T22:12:16+00:00

Reducing the use of fossil fuels in shipping requires new, alternative maritime fuels. Hydrogen carriers offer a safe and energy-dense solution for storing hydrogen, a zero-emission alternative fuel. This research focuses on ammonia borane, NaBH4, n-ethylcarbazole and dibenzyltoluene. Applying hydrogen carriers influences ship design significantly, as they require additional specialised equipment to remove hydrogen from the hydrogen carrier. This research estimates the size of the equipment. As this equipment will need
to be stored and maintained on the ship, the exact sizing and sequence of the additional equipment will likely influence ship design. Results show that the reactor size is significant for all hydrogen carriers. The mixing tank is considerably sized for NaBH4 and ammonia borane, while the heat exchangers are large for dibenzyltoluene and n-ethylcarbazole.

Design Lab: a simulation-based approach for the design of sustainable maritime energy systems

2024-05-19T17:36:06+00:00

The process of achieving decarbonization in the maritime industry relies on tackling complex issues related to ship design. Designers require tools that can integrate the processes of providing relevant operational profile, configuring a target design, evaluating the design and exploring possibilities. Design Lab framework innovatively addresses this need by creating realistic operational profiles, simulating vessel performance and machinery systems, and providing comprehensive system evaluations. The framework promotes a comprehensive design process that starts by creating an operational profile. This profile is used to simulate the vessel’s propulsion power considering statistical weather conditions. Then, machinery systems are configured and simulations are performed. The performance of these systems is evaluated against key performance indicators such as total cost of ownership, carbon intensity indicator, etc., and the process is iterated with new design candidates. A case study of a hydrogen-fueled RoPax vessel is presented to validate the framework and demonstrate its capabilities. By focusing on simulation-based predictions and performance indicators, it provides a quantitative assessment, thereby supporting the decision-making process for stakeholders.

Modernisation of Domestic Ro-Ro Passenger Ships Operating in the Philippines

2024-05-23T06:57:17+00:00

This paper forms part of a wider study in the form of a Formal Safety Assessment of the domestic passenger ships operating in the Philippines, undertaken on behalf of the Philippines Government, and financed by the World Bank and the International Maritime Organisation. The paper focuses on design deficiencies of the domestic RoPax ships, primarily in damage stability. The process of ship selection for representation of the wider fleet risk assessment is explained, leading to one medium RoPax and one large RoPax, typical of some 500 of these ships, serving the open sea domestic trade in the Philippines. To this end, the selected designs have been subjected to a systematic process of damage stability and flooding risk analysis in order to identify design vulnerabilities, leading to risk estimation in the form of Potential Loss of Life. A number of risk control options have then been identified, enabling a thorough risk assessment and identification of cost effective RCOs, as well as impact assessment, using IMO risk acceptance criteria as basis. Despite the poor state of the domestic Ro-Ro passenger vessels operating in the Philippines, many of these aged, badly retrofitted, poorly maintained, and operated, it has been possible to identify cost-effective design solutions to raise the damage stability (and safety) standard of these ships to international standards of newly designed ships; it seems an unprecedented achievement, but evidently true. This presents the Philippine Government and the owners of these vessels with a unique opportunity to upgrade their domestic fleet of RoPax vessels and showcase these against the best in the world. Because of the similarity in the approach, the selection of risk control options and the overall analysis adopted, only one of the typical RoPax vessels selected is presented in this paper.

The importance of first-principles tools for safety enhancement in the design of passenger ships in the case of flooding events

2024-05-26T11:39:13+00:00

The design of a passenger ship is a complex process covering multiple aspects of naval architecture and marine engineering to address performance, functionality safety, and cost as primary objectives. Between them, safety is a key element focusing on the people on board. In this sense, ship safety in the case of flooding events needs proper estimation from the first stages of the design process employing an appropriate metric. To this end, safety can be evaluated as a risk by calculating the Potential Loss of Life.
Thanks to a multi-level framework developed during project FLARE, it is possible to calculate the risk associated with an accident, increasing the level of reliability as the design process advances. The framework aims at employing first-principles tools from the early stages of the design process, abandoning static calculations and empirical formulae as soon as data is available to set up advanced calculation techniques. Then, the framework adopts rigid-body time-domain calculations for the flooding simulations, advanced evacuation analysis tools, and direct crash simulation to evaluate collision damages. The process allows for testing alternative design solutions for the ship to enhance safety. Investigating risk control options is also possible, considering active or passive systems such as fixed foam installations, deployable barriers, or crashworthiness. Such an approach allows for evaluating safer solutions, respecting other design constraints and cost-related aspects. The present work describes the risk assessment framework for the case of flooding events, together with the different levels of accuracy that can be achieved, showing the improvements that could be reached by employing alternative risk control options.

A Service Blueprint Approach in Ship Building Activity Mapping

2024-05-18T18:03:24+00:00

In the evolving landscape of shipbuilding, the confluence of innovative methodologies and advanced technologies is reshaping paradigms in ship design and production. The industry's quest for multidisciplinary methods that elaborate representing diverse ship building activities and boost efficiency in managing these activities has unveiled the potential of the service blueprint, a tool used in service design, which addresses design of activities and determining who does what activities when in collaboration with whom.
Our proposition centres on the structured activity mapping representation, a novel activity map that utilizes service blueprint with detailed description of activities with rich and structured representation of context. The framework offers a comprehensive perspective, illuminating intricate processes such as concept design, detailed design and production stages as well as service and operation stages. This mapping would ensure alignment of each activity with overarching project objectives, encapsulating values, interactions, collaborations. This paper illustrates the approach of service blueprint in representing ship building activities with discussion on improvement potential of current activity mapping through the service blueprint approach as being conducted in the SEUS EU Horizon project.

Grounded Ambitions: A Lean Approach for Assessing Beachability in Concept Design

2024-05-21T18:18:51+00:00

Littoral operations have become an increasing interest for defense stakeholders over the last several decades. Many navies currently operate ship-to-shore assets that are designed to travel shorter distances exclusively in the littorals between a ship and the beach. New concepts are being designed to transit much longer distances from shore-to-shore in both blue water and littoral regions. This Concept of Employment (CONEMP) drives these ships to displacements that are orders of magnitude larger. Compared to smaller vessels where seakeeping and maneuverability performance in the surf-zone are a significant area of interest, larger vessels have a comparatively greater risk with respect to the ability of the ship to get far enough up a beach to safely deliver assets and then get off the beach. This research presents the foundation for a new simulation tool to analyze how far up the beach a ship will be able to get given loading condition, initial speed, beach condition, and hull shape. The focus of this research is to provide a low computational-cost method for
analyzing the beachability of a ship that still considers the dominating physical phenomena of grounding at early stages of design. The tool will need much faster turnaround times than high-fidelity Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) or Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations to support the rapid and evolving environment of concept design timelines.

Satisfaction of passengers - process comparison between three different cruise ship classes

2024-05-23T22:00:53+00:00

In cruise ship design, a ship designer often focuses on the ship’s function, while a cruise operator’s focus is on the creation of a comfortable and enjoyable cruise experience for passengers. Today, these two viewpoints are strongly connected, and thus, the way the inside of a ship is designed can impact how satisfied passengers are on their cruise journey. Thus, we need to figure out the best way to design a passenger ship from the perspective of the passengers themselves. In this paper, we analyse the differences in the combination passenger ship environmental elements and overall consumer satisfaction in two different cruise ship classes from the same ship operator, but from different eras. First, we present a theoretical framework and model for the cruise ship environment that consist of ambient, layout/design, social, product/service and onboard enjoyment factors. Then, by using data collected from the public domain, we compare two types of cruise ships using open-source data (N=755). This allows us to identify the factors contributing to the discrepancy in expectations across cruise guests. Based on this limited data, we create several linear regression models which indicates a favourable and statistically significant link between environmental elements and passengers' conduct while on board. Information processed this manner can be utilised to make informed decisions on cruise ship layout and amenities. In addition, the developed innovative KPI proved instrumental in influencing decision-making processes related to cruise ship designs and operations. Therefore, the findings from our research show a positive link between the onboard environment and the overall happiness of passengers.

Data models in ship design and construction – insights from 4D BIM

2024-05-19T17:17:42+00:00

The lack of a cohesive understanding of a ship product data model, from design to operations, is currently a limiting factor in realizing more efficient ship lifecycle management and design processes. The paper sheds light on the history and gaps in realizing an integrated, interoperable, and multi-domain ship product data model. It also explores practices from BIM (Building Information Modelling) as an inspiration for solutions to overcome challenges related to information modeling, integrated design environment, and 4D engineering and planning.

MariData – Digital Twin for Optimal Vessel Operations Impacting Ship Design

2024-05-23T06:29:42+00:00

Energy efficiency is a key element for reduced shipping emission to meet future environmental regulations. Both design and operation play an important role to meet this goal and the perfection of the interplay between these aspects promises quick improvements to meet the requirements of short term emission standards. The MariData project [https://maridata.org] developed a forward-looking
energy management and decision support system (DSS) for ship operation based on rational methods and data created during ship design and sets out to bridge the gap between design and optimized operation. The “digital performance twin” of a vessel, which is based on design data, is enhanced with lifecycle data covering the entire operational envelope and provides valuable feedback into design processes.

A novel usage of rough sets in design of data fusion systems

2024-05-18T12:29:39+00:00

Design changes for crewless vessels are unexplored compared to the maritime design processes that have been utilized and updated for hundreds of years. This paper presents an exploration into how autonomous and unmanned systems can impact maritime design, specifically focusing on how well they can fuse multiple types of information. Currently, formal and informal communication onboard crewed vessels between various departments is critical in constructing a view of the vessel’s current health and future capability. A
major focus area is determining whether utilizing data classification techniques can replace these human centered decision processes, and what the design implications of losing the human synthesis will be. This paper proposes a mechanical spring-mass-damper system with base excitation using real-world ocean data to be used to perform analyses. Rough Set Theory (RST) is a data classification technique that can be used for the characterization of a set of objects, finding dependency between attributes, and creating rules for
making decisions. RST is compared with other data classification techniques to determine where each classifier succeeds and how they can generate information useful in design. By integrating the results of these analyses, this paper identifies ways to begin fusing multiple information types and how this will impact marine design in the future of crewless systems.

Flipflopi: Circular economy design inspiration from a recycled plastic sailing dhow

2024-05-21T18:07:23+00:00

Flipflopi is an East African organisation with a mission to end single use plastic, driving this agenda using circular economy principles applied to the design and build of fully recycled plastic sailing dhows from their boatyard in Lamu Kenya. Flipflopi has achieved measurable global impact by showcasing the world’s first ocean going recycled sailing boat, Ndogo, a 9 metre long, lateen rigged dhow which has sailed the East African coastline and across Lake Victoria. Flipflopi is now aiming to build a much larger ocean-going dhow, named Kubwa, which presents further technical challenges from a marine design perspective. To meet these challenges. Flipflopi are utilising a combination of generational heritage boatbuilding expertise in Lamu; specific design experience from building and sailing Ndogo; technological progress driven by other recycled plastic projects; and more formalised naval architecture and engineering design approaches. This paper introduces the context within which Flipflopi is centred, the links to circular economy design principles and the specific design challenges from working with recycled plastic as a boatbuilding material.

Retrofit modeling for green ships

2024-05-23T21:49:43+00:00

This paper proposes a data-driven approach to reduce emissions in international shipping, aligning with the IMO’s goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by around 2050. Digital twins (DTs) offer promise for maritime decarbonization due to their simulation and big data handling capabilities. However, fully realizing DTs for new-build is by definition challenging as it requires a real-time data connection. Thus, the research begins with retrofitting existing ships using operational data collected through Bunker Delivery Notes (BDNs), a mandatory method for larger ships since January 2019. The proposed framework constructs digital models to support the retrofit DT, that are tested on a 300m bulk carrier. A fuel consumption model is built using a gray box approach, while various wind-assisted ship propulsion systems are modeled using a white box approach. The study evaluates the design implications and emissions reduction potential of implementing these systems.

Conceptual design of shore station for an innovative waste collecting vessel

2024-05-19T17:06:08+00:00

Marine environment protection legislation in the EU requires ships to return waste they generate on voyages to waste-reception facilities in ports. In many harbors there is a need to expand the port infrastructure to enable the operation of Waste Collecting Vessels (WCVs). In addition, these vessels can perform new functions of cleaning port basins and adjacent waterways. A novelty in the presented research on the conceptual design of the shore station is the inclusion of new requirements for an autonomy and modularization of the vessel. The shore station was designed in the form of a floating pontoon, taking into account the various functional requirements addressed in the ship's conceptual design stage. The pontoon consists of modules corresponding to the ship segments moored in them. The conceptual design was intentionally defined in a generalized form to allow for further development and adaptation to local requirements at individual ports.

Leveraging a Small Dataset to Predict Nonlinear Global Loads in Irregular Waves

2024-05-23T06:20:45+00:00

In this work, a hybrid machine learning method, which uses ML strategies to model high-order force components within a low-order equation of motion, is considered in the context of the global wave-induced loads of a ship in irregular waves. It is shown that the method can make predictions in a range of wave conditions even when the training data set only includes a single seaway. The proposed method offers a data-leveraging technique which may be useful in the design space, where a small data set derived from a high-fidelity source can be leveraged to make similar fidelity predictions in a larger number of wave conditions.

A Fundamental Study on Inter-Array Cabling Methods Between Two Floating Offshore Wind Turbines in Shallow Waters

2024-05-18T10:24:21+00:00

As the transition to renewable energy accelerates, interest in wind farms is heightening. There is a need to safely and economically transport energy produced from Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) to the shore. Consequently, this study conducted an analysis of inter-array cabling methods between two FOWTs in shallow waters, targeting the southwestern sea of South Korea. This research targeted four shapes of dynamic power cables: free hanging catenary, lazy wave shape, suspended and W-configuration type. To verify the economy of the dynamic power cable, the total lengths were compared, and to check safety, curvature and tension were examined. Insights obtained through this study indicate that among the four shapes of dynamic power cables, the lazy wave shape has substantial advantages in shallow waters.

Empowering Adolescents through Hands-on Wooden boatbuilding Training: Adapting Javanese Wooden Boat Design and Construction for a Teenage-Friendly Training Experience

2024-05-21T17:57:29+00:00

In the realm of educational and cultural enrichment, empowering adolescents through hands-on wooden boatbuilding training connects them with Javanese maritime heritage. This scholarly exposition outlines a modern path for youth to engage in traditional wooden shipbuilding, emphasizing tangible skill acquisition and intangible heritage appreciation. The curriculum navigates the confluence of woodworking, mentorship, and cultural identity, fostering youth empowerment. This innovative pedagogical approach views wood sculpting as a vehicle for empowerment, creating a framework for youth-friendly learning inspired by Javanese shipwrights. The proposed model not only crafts seaworthy vessels but also shapes resilient, confident, and empowered young minds, navigating the waves of growth and identity.

Prediction of main engine power of oil tankers using artificial intelligence algorithms

2024-05-23T21:38:51+00:00

In the preliminary ship design, the accurate determination of a vessel’s main engine power is one of the most critical aspects next to service speed, main particulars, and cargo capacity. However, this task can be quite intricate due to its reliance on an extremely great number of influencing factors. In the research that is presented in this paper dataset of 357 oil tankers was gathered and developed to research the idea in which genetic programming is applied to the mentioned dataset to obtain mathematical equations (MEs) that can estimate the ship’s main engine power with high accuracy. The highest estimation accuracy of MEs is achieved by tuning the GP hyperparameter values through the random hyperparameter search (RHS) method. The initial dataset was divided into train and test datasets in a 70:30 ratio. The train dataset was used to train GP in a 5-fold cross-validation process and after the process was done the obtained MEs were evaluated on the test dataset. To evaluate the GP training testing process several evaluation metrics were used i.e., coefficients of determination (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and length of obtained MEs. The conducted investigation showed that GP generated MEs that can estimate ship main engine power with high accuracy.

Comparison and Evaluation of Learning Capabilities of Deep Learning Methods for Predicting Ship Motions

2024-05-19T16:52:45+00:00

The development of intelligent ship control systems in real-world conditions relies heavily on the accurate identification and prediction of ship seakeeping and maneuvering trajectories. In this study, we comprehensively evaluate a selection of deep learning methods to assess their learning capabilities in terms of idealizing ship motion behavior in realistic operational environments. To recover real conditions, we utilize historical Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and a time domain 6 Degree of Freedom (6- DoF) grounding dynamics model to generate ship motion sequences for a Ro-Ro passenger ship operating in the Gulf of Finland. Via a rigorous evaluation process, we validate the performance of these methods using extensive data streams. The analysis includes the identification and estimation of uncertainties between two ports. The paper demonstrates the proficiency of the selected deep learning methods in capturing ship maneuvering features, their potential use in the design of ship control and intelligent decision support systems.

Knowledge Graphs underpinning ship digital twins for decarbonisation options assessment

2024-05-23T06:11:34+00:00

We propose the concept of a Knowledge Graph as a data management and inference machinery that underpins digital twins of ships. The Knowledge Graph is a directed graph connecting dependent and independent model variables of interest in the digital twin, where the correlations between variables are continuously updated based on data received from the physical ship. The paper outlines a methodology for constructing the Knowledge Graph and proposes metrics that help to calculate the effectiveness of decarbonization solutions based on changes to the strength of data correlations. The proposed methodology allows for the extrapolation of decarbonization technology potential across specific vessels, fleets, operational patterns, and lifecycle phases.

Technical and economic feasibility study on reducing CO2 emissions of Dutch beam trawlers

2024-05-26T10:37:12+00:00

This paper examines the technical and economic influence of CO2 reduction measures on the design and operation of Dutch beam trawlers. This is done by means of a parametric model used to assess the influence on the overall design of the vessel. Technical feasibility is determined by meeting operational effectiveness requirements, maximum added draught, maximum added length, and a reduction of CO2 emission by at least 40%. Secondly the model evaluates the new energy carrier and fish storage layout as a result of additional required volume. Additional volume is gained within the net store, fish hold, or by hull extension. Additionally, various propeller configurations, waste heat recovery, and regenerative braking systems are explored to reduce energy consumption. The economic performance is assessed using yearly operational requirements, capital expenses of configuration, and total cost of ownership.

“Are You Sure About That?”: Handling Uncertainty in an Early-Stage Ship Design Process

2024-05-16T06:50:19+00:00

UCL teaches ship design at postgraduate and undergraduate level, using a combination of spreadsheets and commercial computer aided ship design tools. These tools produce single values for a given input and so uncertainty is only incorporated via margins. Experience has shown that students do not develop an effective understanding of engineering uncertainty using the current tools and approaches. This paper describes ongoing work to develop an “add on” to the existing UCL toolset to allow the representation of various ship parameters as uncertainty distributions. This is with the aim of better understanding of uncertainty in ship design, primarily for ship design education but with broader applications for concept design tasks.

Educating for an unknown Future: How to prepare students of ship design for the propulsion of tomorrow

2024-05-20T07:43:10+00:00

It is very likely that the students that we educate today will work with what we currently refer to as modern propulsion or alternative fuels in their career. As educators, the goal is to best prepare our students for their working life. This article looks into what a naval architecture student would need to know about these modern propulsion systems and fuels when they graduate. In this article, two types of knowledge are defined; adaptive knowledge, knowledge that spans multiple areas, and routine knowledge, that addresses a specific case. By identifying what competencies fall under the adaptive knowledge and which fall under routine knowledge, it is possible to advice on changes that should be made to the curriculum in order to best prepare students for the future.

Piping layout integrated in ship design and stability evaluation

2024-05-23T21:27:16+00:00

Damage stability assessment in ship design is a well-established area of our trade. However, where originally only a limited number of aspects were involved, gradually more details are included. Notably compartment connections by pipes and ducts etcetera. Combined with a high number of damage cases, in practice this results in a set of computations which is not complex as such, yet complicated by its sheer size. Although in the PIAS ship design software suite quite some dedicated tools are available, those have never been designed to support the requirements from today. In this light the software has been extended with a new system to fully define shape and topology of compartments and their connections. This paper reports on the system design, its application in damage scenarios, and on complications.

Characterizing three-dimensional general arrangements and distributed system configurations utilizing an architecturally normalized current representation

2024-05-19T16:26:17+00:00

Designing ships involves intricate layouts and multifaceted systems—ranging from mechanical to operational—that must be interdependent and thus precisely arranged. Traditional automated tools, though effective, are often too resource-intensive to be feasibly employed during the critical early stages of design. This paper builds on prior work that introduced an innovative solution: a network-based, architecturally normalized current representation, which offers a computational method to predict system arrangements in two dimensions without generating detailed vessel models. Our method’s advantage lies in its ability to guide early stage design decisions, thereby optimizing the use of subsequent, more resource-intensive design tools. This study extends the method to a three-dimensional framework, capturing more nuanced system-to-system interactions and yielding more realistic ship arrangements. A methodology was proposed to support this three-dimensional extension and demonstrate its applicability through a case study focused on the conceptual design of a naval frigate.

Introduction to the Concept of the German Navy Stability Standard DMS 1030-1

2024-05-21T19:19:19+00:00

Following World War II and the founding of the German Armed Forces, lessons learned from ship accidents as well as scientific advancements called for a new stability regulation specific to the Federal German Navy, the BV 103. While certain minor modifications have been made through the years since then, the basic concept behind this standard still remains effective up to the succeeding regulation DMS 1030-1 of this day. With the most recent additions it has been proven to keep up with and even outclass the safety levels of current civilian stability regulations. The key to this success is early adaptation of available scientific techniques outside the usual constraints of large regulatory bodies.

Statistical reliability analysis of marine systems with varied levels of redundancy

2024-05-26T10:23:37+00:00

In designing autonomous vessels for long-duration independent operation, maintaining the performance of machinery systems without human intervention is a key challenge. Designers are faced with a range of potential system architecture choices but have little guidance on which will be optimal. Working only with high-reliability components can increase the probability of completing a voyage successfully, though the availability of such components may be limited. Alternatively, designers can select a redundant architecture to provide options for reconfiguration if a component fails during a voyage, such architectures typically have weight, space, and cost implications. This work presents a parametric exploration of the probability of system failures over time under different architectures. The reliability of individual components is expressed through exponential probability distributions and the weight of each component is approximated. Two systems are presented and the effectiveness of various architectures for both systems is compared. A simple design penalty function is also tracked to capture the different architectures’ weight and implication number of components. From this study optimal architectures for long-term autonomous missions are proposed.

Early Marine Systems' Design – Cracking the wicked problem - The case of a novel biomass harvesting vessel

2024-05-20T07:18:16+00:00

Several IMDC contributions have argued for a better approach to capture stakeholders' expectations in vessel newbuilding projects' execution. The appropriate processes of requirements elucidation are, however, often forgotten or insufficiently handled in traditional ship design and customer-designer settings. Such situations most often reveal a situation in which both "tamed" and "wicked" problems are addressed and must be dealt with properly and effectively at the earliest stage of the process. This paper shows how such problems can be addressed by using the existing multidisciplinary methodology. A practical approach consisting of a set of methods, tools, and work processes integrated into the Accelerated Business Development (ABD) approach is applied to a specific use case, a next-generation factory stern trawler development.

A detailed step-by-step story of the early vessel design process – requirements elucidation in parallel with concept design solution development – is outlined following a narrative approach. The process being described covers how necessary support information, stakeholders' expectations identification, business[1]related analyses, specific design layout, onboard comfort, and fish process handling and storage are dealt with effectively and efficiently. This case study exemplifies specific solutions to better handle particularly wicked problem situations, but also tamed problems are addressed systemically.

The paper concludes by showing how a final ship design solution can look like and consequently be prepared for and to be built. The handover process and documentation from requirements capture and concept design solution development to further basic design activities are highlighted. The case vessel at hand won the prestigious “ship-of-the-year” award in Norway in 2023. The paper critically discusses what are likely to be the most important factors leading to this outcome.

Optimization of Ship Design for the Effect of Wind Propulsion

2024-05-23T21:08:30+00:00

International regulations as well as strong market demand for zero-emission transport call for a radical change in the shipping industry. One very promising zero-emission propulsion system for shipping is wind propulsion. In this context, the EU-funded Orcelle Wind project (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101096673) aims at using wind as the main source of ship propulsion and to demonstrate the effectiveness and viability of Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS) by a retrofitting and new building demonstrator. In this paper, we explore the effect of wing sails on the concept design of a VLCC tanker in the frame of a newly parametric ship design optimization procedure.

An Overview of Digital Engineering Methods for Platform Integration of Power and Energy Systems

2024-05-28T07:04:12+00:00

US Navy ships, and combatant ships in particular, have requirements for integrated systems that are designed and configured for operational efficiency, redundancy, and survivability. Mission systems today and in the future will not always come with their own energy and many may, at times, require extreme pulse power loads. In addition, the migration away from fossil fuels to hybrid systems with energy storage, or the requirements for autonomous platforms, is challenging our ability to design platforms for these systems. Understanding the interdependencies between components, the systems they support, and the energy domains they are member of is a critical ontological design requirement. This paper will address how we applied digital engineering principles and computer science to the design of ontologies that allow for the modeling of complex operational systems riding on the same shipboard energy network. This system network must support varying levels of detail needed during design while at the same time understanding the impacts of that design on ship system operations and their energy loads over time.

Beyond Jack-Ups: A Moonshot for Future Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessels for an Uncertain Market

2024-05-18T22:25:30+00:00

This paper addresses the growing offshore wind market's demand for larger turbines in deeper waters by highlighting limitations in existing installation solutions and proposing a new concept with a floating monohull, named Moonshot, which will thus be different than traditional jack-up or semi-submersible crane installation vessel options. This paper discusses the design process, which combines Ulstein Rotterdam’s Controlled Innovation and Blended Design to develop the concept. This process is used to
explore various market scenarios to determine optimal vessel parameters. Results demonstrate how optimizing for financial performance or seakeeping behavior impacts the design. Moonshot's initial parameters are established, and its performance is compared to existing installation solutions.

Integrated infection and crowd behaviour model for COVID-19 infection risk assessment onboard large passenger vessels

2024-05-21T19:02:53+00:00

The development of the global COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 onward has had significant impact on the world and specifically the maritime industry. Striking examples were COVID-19 outbreaks onboard the Diamond Princess cruise vessel and the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier at the start of the pandemic. Contagious disease management onboard large passenger ships remains a complex issue, amplified by the international character of the industry, confined environment and shared facilities. This paper therefore presents an integrated infection and crowd behavior model used to calculate agent-specific infection risk, incorporating guest and crew circulation through a passenger ship layout. The integrated model is used to investigate the effect of ship layout design, capacity reduction and mask wearing on COVID-19 airborne infection risk onboard large passenger vessels.

Special ship design and ocean space multi-use synergies

2024-05-26T10:15:28+00:00

This paper introduces the concept of synergistic multi-use between offshore wind and other sectors in the ocean space, to the ship design audience. We study the opportunities that arise when using special ships to service several ocean sectors, thereby realizing some of the synergies for multi-use. Multi-use of the ocean space becomes desirable due to the increasing demand for marine area by growth sectors like offshore wind and offshore aquaculture. We find that the primary opportunities to realizing multi-use synergies from vessels lie in the operational phase. Logistical support, crew transfer, emergency response, accommodation, and some inspection and repair tasks are sufficiently similar across offshore wind and fish farming that multi-use should be considered. The application of the synergistic multi-use concept also extends to other special ship types, such as offshore support vessels serving oil and gas production.

Utilizing Amphibious AGVs to Optimize Container Transshipment for Deep Sea and Hinterland Operations

2024-05-07T13:24:51+00:00

Transshipment is a key component of modern-day shipping logistics. Container supply chains rely on tran-shipment hubs to access remote locations. With globalisation driving growth in container trade, maritime congestion is rising at container terminals in ports worldwide. This is expected to worsen as demand con-tinues to grow. This research explores novel maritime equipment designs that can contribute to solving problems in the trans-shipment chain. One such idea is that of the Amphibious Automated Guided Vehicle, an innovative concept that travels on both land and sea. Envisioned as a tool to minimise the rehandling of containers, the Amphibious AGV forms the heart of the new changes that this research proposes for the fu-ture of trans-shipment. Complementing swifter trans-shipment, the research also proposes complementary design concepts such as floating terminals to add more flexibility for container ships and Amphibious AGVs applied to exchange containers offshore. To validate these ideas, an agent-based modelling methodology was used and replicated in the environment of the Hong Kong- Pearl River Delta. This work, therefore, opens up an intriguing future scope for maritime transshipment that is both sustainable and adaptable while also discussing limitations and concerns that need to be carefully considered.

Digital Shipbuilding – Needs, challenges, and opportunities

2024-05-20T07:04:56+00:00

Ship design firms, shipyards, and ship equipment manufacturers – the shipbuilding industry or just shipbuilding, must adapt their products and services' deliverables to the steadily evolving expectations of the stakeholders in the market.

Digitalization and the use of computational tools have been suggested as the effective means to meet such challenges. However, many anecdotal statements and industry recognitions have expressed concern that such efforts have proven less effective than should be expected and promised, and opposite to what many application suppliers advertise. It is argued by this paper that such a situation is experienced because of, among other explanatory factors, incompatibility, lack of proper protocols for information sharing and isolated implementation efforts in single departments rather than a holistic organizational approach. The lack of full understanding of the ship designer's role and responsibility as the main facilitator of such a change process is also recognized as a clear weakness in the effort of successful digitalization of shipbuilding. It is argued that such a vital transformation process cannot be left alone to the software application providers, despite their size and dominance.

This paper explains and discusses why this situation is experienced and indicates what improvement measures could be introduced to counteract the opportunity loss. The article addresses five potential digital service deliverables that could complement the existing service delivery of shipbuilding operations and thereby increase competitiveness and market attractiveness. These services include a) vessel support and control centres, b) performance monitoring, c) maintenance management, d) spare part handling, and e) life cycle assessment (LCA). The article also reflects on what implications and consequences this development has on the ship designers' work and their firm's adaptation to new services' demand in the shipbuilding market. The paper concludes with some reflections on the actual implementation of these services, highlighting challenges and further opportunities.

Operational data for sea margin calculations in early ship design

2024-05-23T20:57:16+00:00

The current sea margin estimate applied in early ship design, commonly assumed 15-20% extra installed engine power, is not based on calculations, but has nonetheless become an industry standard. These sea margin estimations, applied in early ship design, are insufficiently accurate. This paper evaluates if a data driven approach is suitable to more accurately predict the sea margin in early ship design. Using operational data this method considers the whole operational profile of the vessel not limited to design or calm water conditions. A case study is performed where a data driven model is trained to make power predictions, subsequently this trained model is used to make calm water predictions. This proof of concept illustrates the potential of proposed method to be utilised for sea margin estimations in early ship design.

What is a ship design firm, really?

2024-05-27T05:43:53+00:00

Ship design is a creative process serving a defined objective. This is normally an iterative process with the design being corrected and adjusted many times until it satisfies this objective. Ship design is taking place in a broader business context consisting of stakeholders providing necessary resources and information to enable the realization of a vessel newbuilding project. Activities performed by different actors, such as customers, suppliers and brokers, are organized by and integrated into a ship design firm. This paper
addresses and discusses different ways of organizing integrated design-related activities to deliver on the firm´s value proposition. A value proposition denotes the promised value to a selected customer, and through its value proposition, a ship design firm provides “superior” solutions to a customer’s needs. To enable this solution, a design firm draws on its current resources, including its past knowledge and experiences, and uses these resources in different types of processes, and – in different ways of collaborating with internal and external actors and specialists. In this paper, we draw on approaches from the field of business strategy to understand implications and trade-offs in different logics of value creation processes, how they can be applied in ship design firms, and their implications.

An optimisation-based approach to reduce fuel consumption and emissions from shipping navigation

2024-05-18T22:04:52+00:00

This study presents an optimisation-based approach to reduce fuel consumption and emissions from shipping navigation. The main objective is to improve energy efficiency and simultaneously turn a case-study vessel compliant with Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) proposed by IMO. This optimisation module has been devised as part of a new robust integrated real-time digital solution that will involve a significant number of both technical and operational measures in practice aiming to optimise operational efficiency (during
navigation and port calls). Namely, the tool will be capable of situational awareness and decision support to reduce fuel consumption and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from shipping and must be combined with intrinsic vessel systems to improve vessel hydrodynamic performance, resulting also in improved vessel safety and widening of the operational weather window

Improving Ship Response Estimation using Neural Networks

2024-05-21T18:53:51+00:00

The feasibility of a data-adaptive multi-fidelity seakeeping model is assessed for use in early stage design in this study. Data adaptive tuning (or correction) of lower-fidelity model predictions are implemented based on training with higher fidelity ship motion response data. Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks are incorporated as part of a multi-fidelity approach for prediction of 6 degree of freedom (6-DOF) ship motion responses in waves. LSTM networks are trained and tested with Large Amplitude Motion Program (LAMP)simulations as a target, and SimpleCode simulations and wave time series as inputs. LSTM networks improve the fidelity of SimpleCode seakeeping predictions relative to LAMP, while retaining the computational efficiency of a lower-fidelity simulation tool.

Simulation of LNG-Battery hybrid tugboat under the influence of environmental loads and manoeuvre

2024-05-23T22:35:41+00:00

This paper presents a system modelling approach aimed at designing and simulating real-time conditions, with a specific focus on extreme scenarios to assess the impact on the annual CO₂ emissions and the consumption of LNG and batteries in a hybrid tugboat. Environmental variables such as wave period, wave height, current speed, and wind speed are considered. The tugboat system model is validated using manually logged historical operational data from a similar tugboat profile using both AMESIM and MATLAB\Simulink to simulate diverse environmental conditions and estimate annual fuel operational costs and emissions. A comparative analysis of the different system configurations is then conducted between traditional diesel, LNG and several control configurations of LNG-battery hybrid. Results demonstrate a significant reduction of 96.5% in CO₂ emissions and a 95.3% decrease in annual fuel operational costs with the adoption of LNG-battery hybrid propulsion with the rule-based control system. The study notes a slight increase in vessel operational time by 10.8% due to higher wave heights and a 0.97% rise in added resistance from increased wind speed. Insignificant differences are observed in variations of wave period and current speed. Additionally, the CII ratings of the different system configurations were then compared and concluded with the LNG-battery hybrid with a rule-based control system being the most environmentally and economically sustainable.

Integration of the Power Corridor Concept in the Early-Phase Design of Electric Naval Ships using Mathematical Design Models

2024-05-06T15:10:06+00:00

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the process of identifying the ‘best compromise’ solution for an all-electric destroyer at the concept design level. The design strategy reflects a paradigm shift from a sequential approach towards a holistic multicriterial approach. The destroyer is required for an extensive range and endurance, fully operable in rough sea states. A mathematical design model (MDM) that includes a set of metamodels, is implemented to evaluate the overall performance of feasible, then non-dominated designs. The power corridor concept is integrated into the MDM to optimize the location and functionality of the individual units of the power train. The fuzzy sets theory is used for normalizing and weighing incommensurable properties of candidate designs, so resolving many of the ill-defined requirements and criteria. The final result of this study is a top-level specification for the destroyer with enhanced performance and reduced power demand.

Development of a Novel Codesign Method for Use in Early-Stage High-Performance Craft Design

2024-05-20T06:54:45+00:00

The performance requirements of modern vessels have increased significantly over time, introducing unique challenges in design and analysis. Driven by competition, such as in the case of racing craft, new high performance vessels require design spaces that push the envelope of hydrodynamic technology. This optimization knowledge resides in the experience of racing experts and hasn’t yet been translated into a naval architecture taxonomy. This paper seeks to bridge the knowledge gap between experienced race manufacturers and naval architects, and in doing so, delineate a design methodology. Modeling risk as a function of vessel speed, as well as coupling the design of the control system in conjunction with its physical design embodiment, allows the overall system to reach a greater point of optimality than what can be accomplished by traditional iterative design processes alone. The approach will be demonstrated utilizing the design of a University of Michigan student-led undergraduate high-speed, electric boat competition team design. The team’s goal is to develop a vessel that has a top speed of 135 mph. The paper will discuss how the team used marine design methodologies integrated with a novel codesign method to create the design that is currently under construction for professional racing use by the team.

Nuclear fusion as unlimited power source for ships

2024-05-23T16:21:24+00:00

Every now and then, every marine engineer dreams of a compact, lightweight and inexhaustible energy source to power large ships across the seven seas. Nuclear fusion of deuterium and tritium promises to be a safe, compact, carbon-free, and inexhaustible energy source. Even though it will take decades before conventional power plants may be replaced with nuclear fusion, the concept of nuclear fusion for marine propulsion has already been put on the table by commercial parties. This research investigates the potential of nuclear fusion onboard ships. The design investigates putting the smallest imaginable magnetic confinement reactor, ARC, on a ship. The only commercial ship requiring significant amounts of power is the Queen Mary 2. The large power output of ARC (200 MWe) is one of the major issues of putting a fusion reactor on a ship. Other issues may include intact stability, structural design and influences of vibrations on the fusion reactor. All in all, we found that a fusion reactor onboard a ship is unlikely to be feasible in the near future.

The Potential of Next Generation Nuclear Power for Marine Propulsion of Commercial Vessels

2024-05-27T05:34:43+00:00

Nuclear energy has the potential to become one of the main alternatives to achieve sustainable marine shipping and reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions. This study defines a power generation arrangement and evaluates design speed for nuclear powered
vessels. Higher design speeds show promising economic results. This includes higher revenue and trade while maintaining a
relatively low operational expenditures when compared with conventional powered ships. This study is carried out for a large
container vessel and a large bulk carrier to support the implementation of nuclear energy technology. This study reviews
reactors designed to a 25- to 75-year service life, using a fully electric power generation and propulsion layout.

An Automated Method for Pipe Routing in Ship Unit Modules

2024-05-18T21:46:53+00:00

This study addresses challenges in ship arrangement design by proposing an automated pipe routing method in ship unit modules. Currently, designers rely on experience, lacking quantitative assessments and causing difficulties for non-experts. The proposed method incorporates expert knowledge and design rules into an expert system, evaluating expertise and adherence to rules. The system’s evaluation result was used as the objective function of an optimization problem formulated for pipe routing in conjunction with metrics such as total pipe length, the number of bends, and space availability. Through validation by comparing actual unit module designs, it is demonstrated that the proposed method suggested improved pipe routing design while adhering to expert knowledge.

Hydrodynamics of an underwater vehicle near the sea surface

2024-05-21T18:32:45+00:00

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the hydrodynamic characteristics and the wave exciting forces on a shallowly submerged vehicle. A thin, rigid plate, which is completely submerged beneath the free surface in waters of finite depth is considered herein. The examined body is similar to an unmanned vehicle which is developed in Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute for ocean science applications. From the present analysis the phenomenon of negative added mass and rapid variations of the added mass and damping coefficients is verified due to the free surface effect which is explained in terms of near-resonant standing waves above the submerged body.

Simulation for Designing the Transition to Autonomous Shipping – Japanese Coastal Shipping

2024-05-23T22:19:22+00:00

In Japanese coastal shipping, there is a need to introduce automation technology to alleviate the shortage of seafarers, but its introduction has an indirect impact on coastal shipping due to the interaction between transportation demand and freight rates in a market with a variety of stakeholders. Therefore, it is difficult to make decisions about its introduction. This study uses a simulator that mimics the Japanese cargo market to evaluate the impact of the deployment. The results show that the introduction of autonomous vessels, even in the middle of development, may bring benefits, and that remote maneuvering technology with a crew on board may not produce positive impacts.

Design of Floating Installation Vessel for Offshore Installation of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

2024-05-20T06:41:09+00:00

The installation of the present wind farms Hywind Scotland and Hywind Tampen are both carried out by towing the fully assembled wind turbine from the assembly site in the Norwegian fjords to the final offshore site. In the present study an alternative installation method is proposed where the fully assembled tower is transported to the site on the installation vessel and mounted onto the preinstalled floating substructure (a spar buoy). The paper presents a brief outline of the design process for the proposed concept and gives an overview of the work done to evaluate variations of the installation vessel and the proposed lifting mechanism. The paper is a summary of the results obtained by a project team in SFI MOVE addressing marine operations related to installation of floating offshore wind turbines.

Naval Wargaming as a Requirements Elucidation Tool for Warship Design Teams

2024-05-23T16:06:32+00:00

This paper discusses some of the challenges of setting the requirements for a future warship program and how manual naval wargaming might be employed to make the process more efficient and structured. It goes on to describe some case studies where UCL’s wargame “A Balanced Fleet” was applied to requirement phase problems, in particular the ASW Barrier wargame conducted for the NATO Specialist Team on Naval Ship Systems Engineering. The paper concludes that wargaming is a useful tool in the requirements phase, in particular for helping to direct subsequent and more detailed operations analysis work.

The Importance of Ontological Commitment and Linguistics in Relation to the Elucidation of Design Requirements

2024-05-26T11:54:01+00:00

One of the design process’s earliest and most critical stages is establishing and determining requirements. Design requirements are often expressed through language, whether in written documents, diagrams, or verbal discussions in terms of the client’s “wants” and “needs” or balancing what they can “afford.” Designers use of quotes around “wants,” “needs,” and “afford” signals ambiguity or doubt in the meaning of the terms. The language used during early discourse is crucial for expressing and translating these
ambiguous terms into specific unambiguous design requirements, which significantly shape and constrain possible solutions. In philosophy, this concept is known as ontological commitment. Embedded language in requirements documents, expressed through constraints, objectives, and functions, establish the ontological commitment to a specific solution space. Prior marine design research has focused on the wicked problem of requirements elucidation, with the goal visualizing potential solutions derived from language, and a more direct link to ontological commitment was developed by Andrews in the concept of style Duchateau (2016) van Ores (2011) Andrews (2012). However, the role and impact of linguistics in translating and interpreting uncertain or ambiguous terms into specific design requirements has been largely overlooked. This paper presents modern direct examples of ontological commitment from requirements development for the Littoral Combat Ship.

A time-dependent ice accretion model for trap-setting fishing vessels with filigree structures

2024-05-18T21:28:42+00:00

This paper describes a time-dependent methodology for calculating the rate of ice accretion on vessels with filigree structures. It combines Newton’s Second Law for spray droplet trajectories with time varying flow velocities determined using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The mass flux of ice is determined by solving a set of partial differential equations describing the conservation of mass, heat, and salt in the boundary layer of brine near the ice surface. Icing predictions numerically generated by this approach are
evaluated against current stability regulations for fishing vessels.

Human digital twins to inform ship design

2024-05-21T18:23:45+00:00

A key building block of digital twin solutions is a virtual counterpart for an asset that can be coupled to the asset throughout its lifecycle – predicting an asset’s potential performance at design and providing insight into operation during service. This paper presents the development of human digital twins that integrate human factors into conventional ship design procedures, particularly focussing on seakeeping performance assessments. A novel method for incorporating human-centric performance criteria in seakeeping analyses is proposed and initial validation thereof is detailed. Human digital twins are seen to provide a platform for
informing the ship design process using data captured during vessel operation.

Seeing a Sea of Ships - Exploring the Ship Design Space in the Digital Domain

2024-05-23T22:06:33+00:00

We tackle in this work aspects of the ship design space in the digital domain, with an overview of the current status and opportunities to shift from fixed arrangements towards open technologies, proposing a mix of open and proprietary databases. The discussion is focused on the visual domain and digital thread in ship design. Literature examples from the Brazilian case and the visualization of the ocean space are presented (Numerical Offshore Tank - TPN), followed by the Japanese services to design and optimize hull for specific
missions (NMRI), and lastly the current open ship design library developed in Norway (Vessel.js, NTNU). We present the argument that seeing a sea of ships, that is, visualizing the behavior of many options is already a reality, accessible from a portable device, without the need a large cluster as in the past, exemplified by web-based cases. Our conclusion is that computer graphics approaches to Ship Design should be considered open and exchangeable. Naval architects should focus on what they do best: creating, analyzing, refining,
storing and populating the database of the know-how from the institution (e.g. university, research institute or company).

Defining a framework for implementing the circular economy principles into ship design

2024-05-19T17:32:18+00:00

This research addresses the importance of sustainability in shipping beyond fuel selection, stressing the need for responsible material usage in vessel construction and maintenance. Transitioning to a circular economy is crucial for sustainable waste management in the industry, yet current ship design neglects circularity considerations, prioritising functionality and cost. The research evaluates frameworks such as the butterfly diagram, Cradle-to-Cradle, 10R, and ReSOLVE to integrate circularity into ship design. Combining the 10R framework with the Material Circularity Indicator method, this study offers practical insights for circularity in ship design. Challenges include integrating these methods into standard design processes, which are mitigated by fusing 10R strategies with systems engineering. A case study on wheelhouse redesign demonstrates the effects of this approach, highlighting the importance of supplier collaboration for circularity enhancement.

Methods for Graph Conversion and Pattern Recognition for P&IDs

2024-05-23T06:38:36+00:00

In this study, we developed a method to simplify the analysis of complex Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) on ships. By converting P&IDs into a graph format, we extracted lines and symbols from the original DXF files, enabling easier identification of connections between ship systems. Utilizing the graph, we can intuitively understand complex P&ID and easily apply it to research such as pipe routing optimization. This approach enhances the understanding of ship systems and has potential applications in recommending similar systems within existing ships, streamlining the design and analysis process.

The Impact of the new DMS-1030 Stability Standard on the Future Design of Navy Ships

2024-05-26T11:35:44+00:00

In 2022, the German BAAINBw launched a revised issue of their 1030-1 stability regulations for Navy surface vessels. The improvements of the revised code concerned (inter alia) a new stability criterion for minimizing the effect of parametric rolling combined with pure loss of stability on the wave crest and revised damage stability calculation assumptions, which mainly focus on the submergence of openings and a special treatment of watertight doors. The improvements of the code were found to be necessary to keep track of recent developments in IMO for commercial ships and to update the safety level represented by the code. At the same time, the revised code gives more freedom to the ship designer, a fact which may allow novel and more cost effective concepts of Navy Ships in the near future, provided, the evaluation of the stability according to the code takes place immediately during the very early design phase of the ship. The present paper gives insight into the important updates of the code and it demonstrates at the same time how the design of Navy Ships may benefit from the revised code, if it is applied throughout the very first design phase of the ship. The paper will further present an improved design regime for the early design stage.

A review of the state-of-the-art Sustainable and Climate-resilient inland waterway vessels

2024-05-18T12:37:43+00:00

Inland water vessels are impacted by climate change in two respects. First of all, they will need to convert to low-impact power propulsion and energy (PPE) systems. Secondly, they will need to deal with the impact of climate change, especially longer periods of very low and high water. This paper reviews the multi facet impacts of climate change on inland waterway vessel performance and problems associated with the choice of alternative power energy and propulsion (PPE) system on the vessel’s performance

From Functional Arrangement to Vulnerability Assessment: Automating Naval Ship Design for Enhanced Survivability Analysis

2024-05-21T18:14:18+00:00

A novel method has been developed to rapidly assess vulnerability of a new platform which has been generated through a packing approach. This method quickly transforms a volumetric packing model into a surface model that includes ship structure including doors and hatches, mission critical systems and the crew. A weapon model was developed taking into account the unpredictability of a threat by generating multiple scenarios with the Monte Carlo method. Based on this set of simulations vulnerability measures can be introduced in a weight efficient manner. This in turn will allow the naval architects to design safer naval ships in balance with other requirements. This paper describes the process of vulnerability analysis in early ship designs and the feedback loop of conclusions to the designers.

Sailing through uncertainty: ship pipe routing and the energy transition

2024-05-23T21:54:28+00:00

The energy transition from fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives makes the design of future-proof ships even more important. In the design phase of a ship, it is uncertain how many and which fuels it will use in the future due to many external factors. In fact, a ship typically sails for decades, increasing the likelihood that it will use different fuels during its lifetime. Pipe route design is expensive and time-consuming, mainly done by hand. Motivated by this, in previous research, we have proposed a mathematical optimization
framework for automatic pipe routing under uncertainty of the energy transition. In this paper, we build on the state-of-the-art by implementing design constraints in mathematical models based on discussions with maritime design experts. Additionally, we apply these models to realistic, complex situations of a commercial ship design company. Our experiments show that location-dependent installation costs, which reflect reality, increase the usefulness of stochastic optimization compared to deterministic and robust optimization. Additionally, to prepare for a possible transition to more sustainable fuels, we recommend installing suitable pipes near the engine room upfront to prevent expensive retrofits in the future.

C-ShipGen: a conditional guided diffusion model for parametric ship hull design

2024-05-19T17:13:11+00:00

Ship design is a complex design process that may take a team of naval architects many years to complete. Improving the ship design process can lead to significant cost savings, while still delivering high-quality designs to customers. A new technology for ship hull design is diffusion models, a type of generative artificial intelligence. Prior work with diffusion models for ship hull design created high-quality ship hulls with reduced drag and larger displaced volumes. However, the work could not generate hulls that meet specific design constraints. This paper proposes a conditional diffusion model that generates hull designs given specific constraints, such as the desired principal dimensions of the hull. In addition, this diffusion model leverages the gradients from a total resistance regression model to create low-resistance designs. Five design test cases compared the diffusion model to a design optimization algorithm to create hull designs with low resistance. In all five test cases, the diffusion model was shown to create diverse designs with a total resistance less than the optimized hull, having resistance reductions over 25%. The diffusion model also generated these designs without retraining. This work can significantly reduce the design cycle time of ships by creating high-quality hulls that meet user requirements with a data-driven approach.

Leveraging the concept of information entropy to improve a multi-fidelity design framework for early-stage design exploration of complex vessels

2024-05-23T06:25:06+00:00

Early-stage design exploration is crucial since most of the major design decision are locked-in and only small design modifications are possible at later stages. To assess the performance of the various design candidates while performing design exploration, there are available methods and tools of various fidelities. These methods can be combined to form a multi-fidelity (MF) framework that guarantees accuracy through the high-fidelity model and achieves faster computational speeds through low-fidelity models. The present study proposes the adoption of information-theoretic entropy to improve a MF design framework based on Gaussian Processes (GPs). Entropy quantifies the uncertainty associated with the prediction of the design space. We propose using this uncertainty metric both as a criterion to determine whether further designs should be sampled to construct a reliable approximation of the design space and as a criterion to establish in which optimization step the optimization of the covariance matrix for the MF-GPs should be performed. The approach was tested to benchmark analytical functions and to a ship design problem of an AXEfrigate. The approach holds potential in practical applications, as it aids in the determination of whether additional resources should be allocated for high-fidelity analysis to support early-stage exploration.

The impact of hydro generation on board large sailing yachts

2024-05-26T11:15:54+00:00

In response to the leading narrative of increasing sustainability in the yachting sector, a research collaboration is started between the Delft University of Technology and Dykstra Naval Architects (DNA) to examine the potential use of hydro generation on board large sailing yachts. By harvesting energy from the water flow when a yacht is sailing, diesel generator use can be limited, reducing overall emissions. However, it is a challenge to quickly identify the impact of a chosen hydro generation system on the overall design during the early stages of yacht design. A design method, with a primary focus on the propeller, is therefore developed to quantify this impact. This allows the designer to explore various hydro generation systems in an early design stage. This paper describes the developed method and presents results from a case study to provide insight into the applicability of the method.

A Novel Application of Tensor Networks for the Investigation of Design Optimization Tools in the Marine Domain

2024-05-18T10:35:04+00:00

Traditional optimization methods often struggle to map the unique interactions between design variables, operational constraints, and performance objectives. Tensor networks, a mathematical framework rooted in quantum physics, address this challenge by providing a tool to model state relationships within multidimensional data structures. In the context of bulk carrier synthesis and optimization, tensor networks enable the simultaneous analysis of multiple constraints and their interactions via a state space representation. A state space representation offers a holistic understanding of the optimization landscapes by providing insights that add to traditional optimization analysis techniques. This paper presents a methodology for converting the optimization problem into multiple tensor network representations, details the implementation of tensor
network algorithms, and showcases implementation results. The findings underscore the capacity of tensor
networks to provide a deep, data-driven understanding of complex optimization landscapes, thus enabling
novel decision-making opportunities.

Enhancing hull form design for robust efficiency: A data-enhanced simulation-based design approach

2024-05-21T18:02:26+00:00

This paper presents a design approach that integrates machine learning techniques with traditional physics based simulations/models to enhance the ship design process with robust efficiency. While generative machine learning methods, which can directly produce design outputs such as the 3D hull form, have the potential to transform the design strategy, ship design inherently involves a decision-making process that requires consensus among stakeholders based on a foundation in physics-based simulations/models. This paper proposes a practical design strategy that positions physics-based simulations/models at the core of the design process, augmented by data-driven models. The paper first classifies hybrid types of the two models and integrates them into a practical design process. Finally, it demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed design approach by showcasing the impact of data circulation, which accumulates and reinforces data in day-to-day design operations, on improving design outcomes.

Quantifying Flexibility for a Ship Power and Energy System Design

2024-05-23T21:44:55+00:00

The pace of technology maturation and the uncertainty in magnitude and characteristics of future load types on Navy ships drive the need for robust power and energy system architectures that can adapt to future perturbations in requirements. The Naval design community needs a consistent method for evaluating ship system flexibility in the early design stages when informed decision making provides the greatest opportunity to influence the system’s performance and lifecycle cost. The research presented herein develops
quantitative, measurable metrics and applies them to applicable case studies for Naval power and energy system flexibility: the capability of the system to accommodate change in response to perturbations in requirements.

Concept Design of Typhoon Power Generation Ship Using System Simulation

2024-05-19T17:00:30+00:00

A concept of a typhoon power generation ship for utilizing enormous typhoon energy is proposed. This paper developed a system simulator for evaluating and designing the concept of a typhoon power generation ship using typhoon track history. A developed simulator was applied to the case study to design a typhoon power generation ship ship that operated near Japan. The case study showed that the annual power generation of the typhoon power generation ship tends to saturate and become constant earlier when the number of typhoons is small, in contrast to the improvement of power storage capacity. This result indicates that the appropriate size of the typhoon power generation ship exists at the current technology level.

Large Uncrewed Surface Vessel: An opportunity for Energy Transition?

2024-05-23T06:16:41+00:00

Driven by the IMO target to make the maritime industry net-zero in its carbon emissions by 2050, the maritime industry now has the question of how to create both technically feasible and economically viable solutions. While many are looking at how this can be achieved for currently crewed vessels, even those service vessels such as naval combatants, there is also a real benefit that could be had by combining autonomy with the challenge of meeting the energy transition. Without people onboard there are options to
completely change assumptions on layout, deck height and operations that could provide greater available space and counter energy density challenges. Additionally the removal of human life could open the line for other fuels such as ammonia with significant toxicity concerns. This paper investigates the benefits and difficulties that a Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV) utilising alternative fuel can bring, building on the recent BMT LUSV vision.

The effect of main dimensions on the preliminary design of motor yachts

2024-05-26T10:50:46+00:00

The design process of motor yachts mainly relies on the experience of designers, who have confidence in the knowledge acquired from designing units with similar hull-form characteristics. However, once a new concept needs to be developed, the acquired experience on a standard platform is no longer sufficient to achieve in a short time a successful design. The design of a motor yacht implies considering multiple aspects of ship hydrodynamics: resistance, propulsion, seakeeping, and manoeuvring. Such factors have been widely discussed individually on different kinds of ships, but an appropriate joint investigation of hulls like motor yachts is missing in the open literature. Therefore, the present paper intends to cover this gap, providing guidelines for the design of motor yachts in a length range between 20 and 40 meters. As a preliminary study, a series of 15 yacht hulls has been developed, starting from a reference hull form. Seakeeping, manoeuvring, and propulsive performances have been evaluated at a reference environmental condition and speeds according to the ISO 22834:2022 guidelines. Such calculations allow for developing response surfaces of the hydrodynamic properties for the series of yachts as a function of the hull's main dimensions. As a final result, the obtained responses allow for identifying the best compromise solutions for the main dimension selection of a new motor yacht in the length range of 20-40 meters.

A comparative analysis of side and stern installation of a monopile lifting operation using a heavy lift crane vessel

2024-05-16T21:44:12+00:00

This paper compares two 2XL monopile installation methods: at the leeward side of the heavy lift crane vessel and in the recess at the stern of the vessel. The multi-body system of the vessel, monopile, crane, and mission equipment induces interaction and resonance behaviour. Operational limits are assessed at the crane tip and pile gripper during upending and lowering of the monopile. Stern installation provides a larger operability window during upending compared to side installation. During the lowering stage, the operability depends on the monopile submergence: side and stern installation provide a comparable operability. Considering both stages, stern installation shows promising results.

Effect of Platform Configurations and Environmental Conditions on the Performance of Floating Solar Photovoltaic Structures

2024-05-20T07:47:58+00:00

The growth and development of floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) power plants is a prominent topic within renewable energy technology. One reason contributing to this desired technology design concept is the possibility of land acquisition issues, whereas the usage of the ocean provides a greater technical alternative area. The objective of the research is to present an innovative design for a floating structure, focusing on investigating and comparing the seakeeping performance of several hull configurations: catamaran, trimaran, quadrimaran and pentamaran. The final computational simulation results indicate a linear negative trend in the motion response graphs, particularly in specific significant response values for heave (Global Z), roll (Global RX), and pitch (Global RY), as the hull configuration increases.

Practical implementation of configuration management in the context of concept ship design – first lessons

2024-05-23T21:31:35+00:00

The implementation of configuration management (CM) in support of concept design activities at the Products and Proposals department of Damen Naval has put forward a number of challenges that seem to be unique to the shipbuilding industry and the process of concept development therein, that traditional enterprise-level product lifecycle management software and processes are unable to tackle. Information fluidity, an uneven and fast evolving tooling landscape and limited team sizes have driven us to pursue dedicated software implementations in support of CM during concept design. From the first attempts of doing so, we have seen that a number of performance requirements for the software that were completely under the radar are now driving factors for further selection (mostly related to speed and agility of the tool), while some others even impact our way of working and organizational structure as a whole, requiring us to carry system responsibility per discipline, instead of only functional responsibility.

Closing the gap between early and detailed ship design models

2024-05-19T16:47:22+00:00

Conventionally, ship design and engineering are segregated activities, carried out with different software packages that thus each have their own place, qualities and tools. And consequently, a different data model. As a report on ongoing work to bridge that gap, this paper first explores existing neutral data models and standards employed or considered in maritime applications and concludes that none of these is directly applicable. It continues with describing the requirements and derived abstract data model of the SEUS project and its design and engineering applications. A graph database is identified as a potentially useful tool for SEUS data modelling, and a hands-on experiment confirms this presumption.

Iron Powder as a fuel on Service Vessels

2024-05-21T19:24:14+00:00

This paper investigates the feasibility of iron powder energy generation systems on board a semi-submersible crane vessel. This is done using a design model that integrates design information and a simulated mission profile to determine a hybrid iron powder setup split. This setup is then placed within a set of vessel designs to calculate a base level feasibility looking at the draft, stability, and emissions decrease. For those concepts that were technically feasible, the new hybrid iron powder setup contributed to a reduction of CO2 up to 25-50% and a reduction of NOx emissions between 15-50%, depending on the mission profile.

System level simulation of the winter navigation in the Baltic Sea

2024-05-26T10:30:07+00:00

Efficient winter navigation has crucial importance for Finland as all Finnish harbors are icebound every winter. A winter navigation system level simulation tool has been developed to analyse the marine traffic in wintertime and to analyse the present and future need of icebreakers when both marine traffic patterns, ice-going ship characteristics and ice conditions will change. This paper summarises the basic principle of the tool and presents some recent applications together with the conducted verification and validation. The tool has been applied both in the northern part of the Baltic Sea and in the south to study the winter navigation system: on the Bay of Bothnia for Finnish marine traffic and the Gulf of Finland for Estonian marine traffic.

Modular Ship Design

2024-05-07T07:59:01+00:00

In this paper, we introduce a modular approach to ship design, utilizing design modules to streamline the initial design phases. Ships are conceived as combinations of a primary 'ship module' and various 'design modules' tailored for specific spaces. These modules encompass predefined geometries, layouts, and equipment configurations. We introduce an optimization model that integrates decision variables for ship attributes and configuration variables for module selection. Through this framework, we aim to simplify
design complexities, accelerate the production of detailed drawings, and foster innovation in ship design methodologies.

The impact of maritime decarbonization on ship design: State-of-the-Art Report

2024-05-26T11:31:50+00:00

The maritime industry faces a critical challenge to decarbonize and meet the ambitious goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This transition requires innovative ship design strategies to address the increasing complexity and multiplicity of technical solutions amidst dynamic regulatory, geopolitical, and market uncertainties. This paper examines the maritime decarbonization challenge's impact on ship design and decision-making under uncertainty, highlighting the necessity for collaboration between researchers and practitioners to tackle this emerging challenge. To navigate the uncertainty, stakeholders can integrate advanced design methods and decision-making processes considering the full lifecycle and fleet-level implications. This paper promotes taking a holistic approach that incorporates regulatory compliance, technological advancements, and commercial considerations, as well as a blend of methods to manage decision-making under uncertainty. Continued research in specific areas is essential to develop and refine frameworks that optimize design and operation for the industry's sustainable future.

The expanding scope of ship design practice

2024-05-26T11:03:20+00:00

As the former International Chair of IMDC, the initiator of the continuing series of IMDC State of Art (SoA) Reports and the lead author of most IMDC SoA Reports on design methodology from 1997 to 2018, the author has both pioneered and observed an increasingly broader scope in the practice of the design of particularly complex vessels.
The paper commences with reviewing some key publications, not just to recent IMDCs, that have tracked the manner in which “ship design” (in the broadest sense) has become more sophisticated – especially in the crucial early stages of design. The diversity of ship design practice, not just due to computer-based methods, is readily observable. Moreover, the impact of computer aided design in ship design has not just been to better analyse ship performance (e. g. in hydrodynamics, strength and ship infrastructure systems behaviour) but also in the increasing use of graphical tools and design methods to enable “better ship design”. In a growing number of, mainly, academic centres, but also in some government agencies and design consultancies, there is a clear desire to better understand how to design “ships” and to manage the ship design process, especially for the most complex and novel classes of vessels. In particular, the objectives being sought when conceptualising and synthesising a range of ship options (as part of the requirement elucidation approach) in an ever-increasing scoping of the relevant issues, amounts to developing a more holistic approach. This is not just due to an increasingly complex ship acquisition and ownership environment, but also due to environmental and socio-economic (especially system safety) concerns. Overlaying all this are the opportunities or the spectre of Artificial Intelligence (or perhaps more immediately those of Machine Learning) and its likely impact on engineering practice as well as those other professions in the “marine design enterprise”. The paper concludes by emphasising that while ship design has distinct differences, when compared with most other large scale engineering design practice, the lead ship design profession of the naval architect has somehow to deal with this expanding scope in the practice of “ship design”. This means the education and on the job development thrust must broaden if the ship design profession is not to be side-lined into acting as mere hull engineers. It is argued, such a specific role will be more vulnerable in an increasingly Machine Learning dominated future, than the holistic ship creating and systems architectural alternative. Finally an ambitious vision for future ship designers is given alongside a summary of the specific main contributions by the author to ship design methodology.

Ship Design in the Era of Digital Transition

2024-05-07T13:49:55+00:00

The evolution of ship design from a manual toward a computer-aided, digital approach has been drastic after the 1970s, with the explosive development of computer hardware and software systems. In today’s era of smart digitalization in the frame of Industry 4.0, recently introduced digital/software tools and systems increase the efficiency and quality of the life-cycle ship design process, but also the operational complexity and the demand for proper training of users of software platforms. Parametric optimisation and simulation-driven design, product lifecycle management, digital twins and artificial intelligence are nowadays frequently used by the maritime industry during the commissioning/quality control activities and in the various phases of ship design, ship operation and ship production. This paper presents an overview of notable developments in the above areas and the way ahead to respond to present and future challenges of the maritime industry.