Overview
MECH0030: Maritime Design
University College London, Spring 2024
This term-long, individual design project was to design a commercial shipping vessel given a unique set of design criteria. From conducting literature review to creating parametric sizing and geometric surveys, this comprehensive project is the largest-scope project I have conducted. Being on exchange for the term, jumping into this project without the context of the per-requisite course was also a healthy challenge of my adaptability and ability to learn quickly.
This page serves as a brief summary of my project work, and the comprehensive final report is included at the bottom of the page.
University College London, Spring 2024
This term-long, individual design project was to design a commercial shipping vessel given a unique set of design criteria. From conducting literature review to creating parametric sizing and geometric surveys, this comprehensive project is the largest-scope project I have conducted. Being on exchange for the term, jumping into this project without the context of the per-requisite course was also a healthy challenge of my adaptability and ability to learn quickly.
This page serves as a brief summary of my project work, and the comprehensive final report is included at the bottom of the page.
Click for higher resolution drawing.
Process
This design project was completed over approximately three months. The design flow is outlined below.
- Literature review
- Parametric sizing survey
- Geometric survey
- Costing/Lifetime analysis
- Layout
- Stability and environmental analyses
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1) Literature Review
This phase was critical to my understanding the existing market to guide my own design. I entered this course with very limited knowledge of shipping vessels, and utilized the literature review to gain perspective on standard design and operational specifications. By the end of my literature review, I had sufficient knowledge to begin making broad design choices based upon the design requirements given to me below. A preliminary sketch of possible designs followed.
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Screenshot of the parametric sizing survey Excel Workbook
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2) Parametric sizing survey This step was conducted in Microsoft Excel. Specification sheets and defining equations were provided by the professor in order to complete this spreadsheet which provided a rough initial estimate for the geometry of the vessel given the choices I had made following the literature review. This was a comprehensive space and mass analysis of all cargo, equipment, crew accommodations and machinery. The result of the parametric sizing survey was initial dimensions for a vessel which had the required volume and produced proper buoyancy to counteract the loads. 3) Geometric survey Given these initial dimensions, a geometric survey was conducted in order to refine the hullform (the shape of the vessel) to produce the most power-efficient vessel. The set of geometric parameters were systematically varied in order to analyze which combination of parameter values yielded the lowest powering requirement. The results of the geometric were later revisited following the costing analysis. |
4) Costing analysis
Three economic metrics were used to analyze the economic viability of different combinations of the following variables:
The three economic metrics were as follows:
A script was written in VBA in order to populate an excel sheet with the UPC, RFR and first-year RFR for a total of 300 possible designs. The Through Life Costing analysis which produced the overall RFR simulated anticipated market changes over a 25 year life span as:
The geometric survey was promptly revisited to optimize given the chosen combination of parameters before moving onto the layout.
Three economic metrics were used to analyze the economic viability of different combinations of the following variables:
- Total TEU capacity: 1000 - 1500 TEU
- Maximum speed - 18 - 22 kn
- Energy generation: Diesel engine or solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)
- Unrefuelled range: 1000 - 4000 nautical miles
The three economic metrics were as follows:
- Unit Purchase Cost (UPC): The total cost of purchasing the constructed vessel.
- Required Freight Rate (RFR): The average required rate for one TEU unit over a 25 year life span in order to have net zero profit.
- First-year Required Freight Rate: The RFR for the first year of operation.
A script was written in VBA in order to populate an excel sheet with the UPC, RFR and first-year RFR for a total of 300 possible designs. The Through Life Costing analysis which produced the overall RFR simulated anticipated market changes over a 25 year life span as:
- Increases in NOx emissions taxes
- Decrease in ammonia fuel cost
- Increase in cargo demand
The geometric survey was promptly revisited to optimize given the chosen combination of parameters before moving onto the layout.
5) Layout and General Arrangement Drawing
The geometric survey tool developed by Dr. Rachel Pawling generates the shapes of both the hull decks and superstructure decks. The Initial Sizing Survey (Step 2) was referenced in creating the general arrangement drawing to determine the proper footprint of each room or piece of machinery. Multiple iterations of the layouts were created as I reflected on the convenience and flow of the layout. For example, the machinery must be located in the rear of the vessel in order to minimize the length of the propeller shaft, and all crew accommodations should have common spaces to encourage social interactions.
Once a general layout was determined, the general arrangement drawing was produced by cleaning up the lines and formatting in order to produce a professional document. Designs of existing vessels were referenced in order to maintain a professional style.
The geometric survey tool developed by Dr. Rachel Pawling generates the shapes of both the hull decks and superstructure decks. The Initial Sizing Survey (Step 2) was referenced in creating the general arrangement drawing to determine the proper footprint of each room or piece of machinery. Multiple iterations of the layouts were created as I reflected on the convenience and flow of the layout. For example, the machinery must be located in the rear of the vessel in order to minimize the length of the propeller shaft, and all crew accommodations should have common spaces to encourage social interactions.
Once a general layout was determined, the general arrangement drawing was produced by cleaning up the lines and formatting in order to produce a professional document. Designs of existing vessels were referenced in order to maintain a professional style.
Reflections
This was by far the most comprehensive individual project I have completed. I was challenged by the range of factors considered, from pure engineering to economics and environmental factors. Given the accelerated timeline for this project, I learned how to prioritize project components in order to deliver a final product that I was proud of, even if not all of the initial project requirements were fleshed-out. My final takeaway from this project is to confidently jump into unfamiliar territory with a learning mindset. Although I had no previous knowledge of vessel design or the shipping industry, I was able to learn a great deal and become knowledgeable in the field.
