ProteusDS - Version ShipMo3D -Toolset for Early-Stage Ship Motion Analysis

How do you verify ship motion performance as early in your project as possible?

Juggling requirements for components, weight distribution, materials, layout, accommodations, electrical and IT systems, and power systems make ship design a challenging endeavour. Adding ship motion requirements to the mix takes it one step further.

Yet the ship’s performance at sea is a complex function of all the particulars of the design

The customer is waiting with their list of requirements to check off in terms of motion performance at sea, turning capabilities, and more. So how do you verify performance and increase the chances of a design that meets and beats those requirements? One solution is to outsource a seakeeping analysis to a consulting company.

But outsourcing seakeeping analysis can be inflexible. There are always what-if scenarios you want to explore as the design changes. This leads to more time and money spent preparing a new package of work for a consultant. It can introduce delays and slows down the design process. Instead, you can speed up the design process if you do the seakeeping analysis yourself.

What’s needed is easy-to-use ship motion analysis software tools that are flexible enough in the early stages of ship design

At this stage, the hull is conceptualized but not necessarily all the fine details. Software like this must quickly resolve ship motion across a range of sea states and maneuvers. This seakeeping and maneuvering software is even better if you can make design changes and see what happens quickly. It’s got to be easy to use, so you can get up and running quickly, especially if you don’t use the software every day.

Rapidly evaluate seakeeping ship motion response. Ship design projects have a million details that all interact with each other. It can take time to unwind how all these factors affect ship performance. Use frequency-domain seakeeping analysis to rapidly calculate specific ship design performance across a broad range of sea conditions and forward speeds. This rapid feedback helps you quickly cut through the confusion and incrementally improve the ship design.

Calculate acceleration at any location on the vessel. Acceleration is the primary factor in establishing the effects on crew and equipment. But ship motion can result in complex changes in acceleration through the entire hull. Spot-check detailed statistics on accelerations anywhere on the ship as it moves in a seaway using virtual probes called Seakeeping Positions.

Verify ship motion maneuvering response. Ship maneuvers, like the zig-zag test, require varying commands based on the ship condition over time. The time domain maneuvering tools allow ship designers to explore and verify the control of ships. Explore maneuver control capabilities of the rudder, propulsion, and turning performance.

Evaluate ship motion of low length to beam hulls. Accuracy of strip theory tools break down with squat or awkward-shaped hulls. Our software is based on 3D potential code to address any midline-symmetric mono or multi-hull vessel.

Eliminate uncertainty from forward speed effects. Hydrodynamic parameters like diffraction and radiation can be sensitive to the forward speed of a hull in the water. Without accounting for the effects of forward speed, errors and uncertainty start to grow in the forces and motions. Calculate wave excitation and radiation hydrodynamic effects that account for the effects of forward speed of the hull.

Compute performance of active stabilizer fins. Active stabilizer can have a large impact on controlling ship motion, but only when sized correctly. Evaluate performance yourself using different foil sizes. Rapidly check the effect of ship motion with and without active stabilizer fins to illustrate the potential for improved performance at sea and during maneuvers.

Easily incorporate hull appendages. Hull appendages are small but can have a big impact on ship motion response. Use built-in models to easily define commonly used hull appendages, like bilge keels, skegs, fins, and more.