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In-depth | CAD/CAM


improvement in efficiency, performance, stability, robustness, etc. which is gained by developing geometry through simulation is, evaluation shows, significantly higher than that of traditional, manual form variation. It is, therefore, not about accumulating data


and sheer number crunching. It is about the suitable application of the technology and about coping with potential pitfalls. Such are, and these are additional conditions for the beneficial use of the technology, mainly rooted in due technical development. Integrating computational fluid dynamics


has gained momentum in hull form development at much the same pace as the provision of computer capacity for their operation. Ongoing developments in, for instance,


distributed computing as well as generally faster and more powerful computer technology will make the large-scale deployment of simulation easier. The use of existing programmes is another vital factor. In-house developments, active commercial licenses and ongoing R&D need inclusion in the design process, not merely as a matter of economics but as a means to arrive at better designs. Te integration of existing tools is provided


by suitable coupling solutions and dedicated interfaces of respective simulation-driven design environments. As the demand for energy efficient solutions steadily grows, the number of designs to check and optimise for performance has to grow, quite naturally. Suitable answers are provided by simulation. There is no alternative technology on


the market which would make available a comparable set of designs and an equally comprehensive depth of performance data. Simulation-driven design can make design


correlations clearer. Te number and type of analysis can show the designer cause and effect relations for an individual design which, firstly, would otherwise not be as evident, and which, secondly, would not necessarily be seen in much the same depth and clarity by a skilled designer. For example, generating 500 geometric


variants of a bulker model and checking their performance will make comprehensible the correlation between the length of the vessel and its stability or its resistance. Likewise between any of the design parameters which are investigated. Regression curves in evaluation graphs


will give a clear tendency for the most feasible design in the assessed design space. Trough optimisation better designs will be expedited. Even for mature baseline designs hydrodynamic optimisation frequently achieves an efficiency improvement of an average 5%. Naturally, all assumptions that are made for the system ship will not only represent, but also restrict the designer. This is, however, not an inherent issue


of the simulation-driven approach, but fundamentally true for the assertive stance of the engineer toward his subject. Real-life experiments, for instance in a model basin, will become less by number, however, not by quality if few very promising, optimised model variants are being subjected to tests. Does a black box of concerted programmes


replace the art of hull form development? A paper on simulation-driven design asked in 2008 and the question remains. It does not. It enhances it. At least it has the potential to help naval architects develop better designs. Experience and insight into the system ship are indispensable for the right employment of


integrated simulation. It is about making the technology work in the most meaningful way. Hesitation is eligible with regard to a cautious balancing of the proper use of simulation. It is important—and indeed decisive if not


essential—for ship design to supply today’s and tomorrow’s market with sustainable solutions. System imminent presuppositions may hinder simulation-driven design from being applied faster and more comprehensively. Technical issues like applicability;


heterogeneity of the design environment; downsides in data handling between different system components, etc. are subject to ongoing development. Providers of dedicated simulation-driven design environments assist users in finding suitable solutions for making the soſtware systems work. Aside from these pitfalls, why would


approved naval architects want to embrace change and openly use new technology? Because it is, at the end of the day, their expertise which makes the technology work and that will in the end deliver better designs. It is their experience which, meaningfully contributed to team-based design work, guarantees suitable, reliable results. It is their insight which supervises, prepares


and assesses both the design process and the results and which eventually omits less important and potentially false factors and findings too. It is not least their knowledge which fuels


further development. And it is, as simulation- driven design rapidly gains ground, a matter of meeting present and future market developments. Skilled naval architects are asked to take the lead—for the fruitful application and further improvement of a promising, powerful technology. NA


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The Naval Architect September 2010


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