Hydrodynamic Analysis

Initial Design contains an integrated tool for analysing the hydrodynamics of the hullform, which includes four modules:

The Powering module incorporates a number of well proven empirically derived methods to predict the resistance and powering characteristics of a hullform and its associated appendages.

The Manoeuvring module predicts the following ship manoeuvring characteristics using semi-empirical formulae for merchant and warships: crash stop, turning, zig-zag and reverse spiral manoeuvres.

The Seakeeping module predicts and assesses the seakeeping capabilities of a hullform.

Finally, the Dynamic Positioning module provides the ability to design the thruster system of any vessel, which requires a station-keeping capability with three or more thrust units. The program undertakes a static analysis where the thruster system can be designed subject to steady environmental effects. A safety margin can be included to allow for unsteady environmental effects.

These four hydrodynamic analysis modules can be used in conjunction with the geometry modelling programs in the early stages of the design process, to assess the feasibility of a particular hullform from a ship performance aspect.