C-Job and NAPA unite to optimise vessel concept design

In this Darwinian process, successive ‘generations’ of ship designs are automatically created by the algorithm; each generation inheriting the most successful characteristics of its predecessors. This removes uncertainty within the whole ship design process – speeding up the design process and giving ship-owners even more confidence in their final design. This method has long been theorised as applicable to ship design, and is finally becoming a reality thanks to NAPA’s development of 3D modelling capabilities and increases in computing power.

This methodology has demonstrated its value in other fields such as spaceflight, with NASA using genetic algorithms to create optimum designs for components such as antennae. The application of Accelerated Concept Design is particularly vital for shipping, as increasing market and regulatory pressures require hull designs to become ever more efficient, while maintaining the highest safety standards and compliance with regulations. In contrast to traditional methods, where typically only small changes to existing models are possible, Accelerated Concept Design enables Naval Architects to explore new directions with greater confidence.

C-Job and NAPA are collaborating on the development of this methodology, using NAPA software to generate concept designs within shorter time spans. In addition, they are working on software developments that will deliver more accurate estimations of construction weight, building costs and performance.

“We know that the current generation of naval architects is under more pressure than ever before to rapidly adjust their designs to keep pace with ever-changing requirements from owners, yards, regulators and the market,” said Jan Furustam, Sales Director, Design Solutions at NAPA.

“We build our products around these needs, with the user at the center of our development process. The use of NAPA for Accelerated Concept Design shows how adaptable our software is to any design environment, allowing users to cope easily with new requirements and ways of working,” he added.

“The power to automate vital parts of the design process represents a huge step forward for vessel designers,” said Thijs Muller, Lead Naval Architect at C-Job. “Instead of manually optimising parts of the design process, virtual ‘evolution’ finds the ‘fittest’ designs automatically. This means that designers can be more confident that their designs will deliver the results they need, and gives them back more time to explore new ideas and concepts.”

Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/product-news/07122017/c-job-and-napa-unite-to-optimise-vessel-concept-design/