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Ship Design and System Integration

Conference Paper · December 2013

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Ship Design and System Integration
Dipl.-Ing. Christina Vossen (Senior Engineer), Robert Kleppe (Principle Engineer, Electrical
Systems), M.Sc. Siv Randi Hjørungnes (Principle Engineer, R&DT), Rolls-Royce Marine AS,
Ship Technology – Offshore Systems

Abstract

Ship design is a complex, iterative and multifaceted process, influenced by a number of

factors. Based on the vision of a customer, the ship designer has to develop the most cost
efficient ship for a designated task, within the boundaries of international and national rules
and regulations. Finding the best compromise within the given boundaries is the challenge
for the ship designer and system integrator. In the offshore sector, ship design is getting
more and more diverse, with more stringent rules and regulations ensuring safe and secure
operation, as well as more advanced operational requirements. Furthermore, the physical
and functional integration of systems and equipment on board is getting more complex. 2D
and 3D design, modeling, simulation and calculation software is playing an important part in
making the design process more efficient and successful. A successfully designed ship is the
result of close and good cooperation between the designer, the customer, the yard and the
equipment suppliers. None of these players can be left out in the process of designing the
ships of the future.

1. Introduction
In a historical perspective, new ship designs have been based on existing vessel designs and
on minor breakthrough innovations, bringing the industry a few steps forward. Ship designs
have been developed further to meet new customer requirements, new regulations and the
needs of the market. Positive experience as well as lessons-learned from accidents and
incidents leads to improved and better designs.

New ship designs can be divided into two groups. They either evolve from research and
development projects (R&D) of the ship designers, or from a sustained development
together with the customer. R&D projects are independent of contract projects and are
based on long-term strategies. The ship designers start an innovative process, based on
market studies and new ideas and concepts. After a successful design process, the new ship
design will be introduced to the market.

In comparison, a sustained development is a customer driven process. Requests from the

customers, requirements from authorities and regulatory bodies and the technical available
solutions have to get aligned to design the customized ships of the future. A successful ship
design lies in the close cooperation of ship designers (naval architects and marine
engineers), ship owners, shipyards, charterers, as well as internal and external equipment
suppliers.
This paper will focus on the ship design process in the offshore industry, as a sustained
development (Chapter 2 and Chapter 3).

System integration, physical and functional, will be discussed in Chapter 4, including its
possibilities and challenges. Chapter 5 gives an insight into the special role Rolls-Royce
Marine has, as an equipment supplier and integrator as well as ship designer.

2. Ship Design – Design Requirements and Factors

A ship design is influenced by a number of market players. A ship owner, a charterer and a
ship broker can be involved in the tender processes, as illustrated in Figure 1. These three
parties have to align their requirements whilst approaching a ship design company and/or
ship yard.

Figure 1: Involved parties in a tender process

In such a tender process, a number of requirements and aspects have to be taken into
account. These can be grouped in four categories, as illustrated in Figure 2 and can be seen
as a starting point for the whole design process.

Operational External
Requirements Requirements

Available Commercial
Technology Aspects
Vessel
Specification/Ship
Design

Figure 2: Requirements and aspects influencing a ship design

Commercial Aspects relate to the current market situation and the market perspective.
The key market drivers for the offshore shipping industry are the international oil and gas
prices in addition to the national and international economical situation. The availability of
the different types of bunker fuel in operational areas (ref. Operational Requirements), as for
example the availability and infrastructure of LNG terminals, can be a decisive and limiting
factor for the design itself. The supply and demand of offshore vessels on the world market
is highly dependent on the national and international oil prices. Available building capacity at
the ship yards, together with the availability and cost of materials (mainly steel) and
equipment, regulates building costs and the time frame for the build.

Operational Requirements cover all the requirements related to the operational tasks of
the vessel. These are related to the cargo capacity, such as deck area and tank capacities,
crane capacity and special systems and equipment needed for the operational task of the
vessel. The special equipment and systems include for example: helicopter deck, moon pool,
remote operated vehicles (ROV), towers, diving equipment, winches, etc. These are the main
driving factors for the main dimensions such as length (L), breadth (B) and draught (D).
Additional operational requirements are the maximum speed, transit speed and dynamic
positioning (DP) capability. The geographical area where the vessel is going to operate in is
another important requirement. The operational area has to be considered with respect to
water depth, wave heights and periods and climatic conditions such as temperature and
humidity (water and air). Especially harsh environments in arctic latitudes will influence the
vessel structure, the arrangement and systems and equipment to great extend, due to ice
loads, climatic conditions and environmental awareness.

Operational Requirements are also often referred to as the “Design Parameters”.

External requirements describe all the requirements related to international and national
rules and regulations. All vessels have to be built according to prevailing international rules,
ensuring safe and secure shipping.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized UN agency manifesting these

international regulations. Hundreds of codes and guidelines cover the design, the
construction, the equipment, maintenance and the crew, following the slogan of IMO “Safe,
secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans”.

In addition to the international regulations, the ship design and construction has to apply to
the rules of the respective flag administrations. On top of that, certain specific restrictions
might apply due to the operational area of the ship (see for example MARPOL Annex VI:
Prevention of air pollution by ships). Emission Control Areas (ECA) limit emissions to air,
introducing solutions such as gas-fueled engines, exhaust gas cleaning and low sulfur fuels.

A classification society, listed accordingly to IMO and authorized by the flag administration, is
an independent organization verifying the compliance with its own classification rules during
construction and the service life of a vessel.
Increasing environmental concerns and a higher focus for safety at sea lead to more
stringent rules. Especially after major incidents/accidents, new rules are put into place.
Developments in ship design are often closely linked to these new rules and regulations.

Additionally, special requirements and standards of the industry (e.g. oil companies) might
have to be followed.

The Available Technology is the fourth aspect influencing a ship design. This includes on
the one hand the available building materials and building technology on the market. The
available equipment on the market, either off-the-shelve products, custom made equipment
or newly developed equipment is an important factor. Custom made or newly developed
equipment is often triggered by changed market needs.

On the other hand it includes the available design software, such as 3D modeling, CFD
calculations and simulation software.

In addition to the aspects and requirements mentioned above, the design is to great extent
adapted to the requirements set by the ship yard or the owner, such as:

 Available building facilities at the ship yard,

 Building standards and procedures at the ship yard,
 Implemented and used design software (2D and 3D) at the ship yard,
 Preferred equipment of the ship yard and ship owner or charterer (makers list),
setting requirements for the integration into the vessel,
 Owner requirements with regards to interior and comfort standards (e.g. special
comfort class or minimum cabin size).
3. Ship Design – The Design Process
J. Evans visualized the process of ship design in a spiral in 1959 (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Ship Design Spiral (Evans, 1959)

The design spiral is a conceptual model of a process for effecting ship design (Mistree,
Smith, Bras, & Allen, 1990). Mission (tender) requirements are the starting point for the
concept design phase, leading to preliminary power estimations, a propulsion system, a hull
shape, a general arrangement, preliminary hydrostatic and hydrodynamic calculations and
preliminary cost estimations. The above is evaluated and lessons are drawn for the following
“preliminary design phase”. The evaluated solutions are discussed in close cooperation with
the customer to find the most efficient overall design. Solutions are getting more and more
specific and options are narrowed down. In a successful tender process a final proposal and
a contract proposal lead to a signed design contract and the detailed design and actual
building process starts.

In the process of designing a vessel a number of tools are used. These include for example
3D modeling, CFD calculations, simulations and tank tests. The availability and utilization of
calculation and simulation software has increased, as computer utility got cheaper and
requires less process time. The results help to verify predictions and to optimize the design.
Modern tools such as these help speed up iterations of the design spiral. However, the tasks
remain unchanged since the design spiral was drawn in 1959. Besides verifying assumptions
and predictions in the design process by calculations, computer based modeling and tank
tests, it is important to incorporate the feedback and experience of the customers/users.
This feedback is essential to constantly improve vessel designs and to stay ahead of the
competition.

A really important feedback in this context is the logging of the operation modes on board of
a vessel. An example for such an onboard measurement is given in Figure 4 shown in
comparison to an estimated operational profile by the Ship Owner or Ship Designer.
 Transit
Transit
1 Harbou 1
10 % r
Standb 7%
Harbou 5%
r y
Transit 12 % Transit
17 %
2 2
15 % 17 %

DP DP
30 % Transit Transit
30 %
3 3
28 % 29 %

Figure 4: 1 Year actual operation, logged on board of a UT design (left), Estimation by the
Ship Owner or Ship Designer (right)

The actual logged profile provides important information for optimizing propulsion systems.

Based on the operational profile and calculations of Life-Cycle-Costs (LCC) a propulsion

system is chosen. However, it has to be kept in mind that a vessel might change its
operational tasks during its life-cycle. Therefore flexibility in the system can be very
important. A hybrid propulsion system, combining direct diesel mechanic propulsion with
diesel electric propulsion, is an example for a flexible, state of the art power system as
shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Rolls-Royce Marine Hybrid System with Hybrid Shaft Generator (HSG)

It is essential to integrate the power system into a hull, designing a ship with a high overall
efficiency. The hull form has to be optimized with respect to hydrostatic and hydrodynamic
aspects. The arrangement of the vessel has to be the most practical one with regards to the
working procedures on board and the utilization of the space.

This process of finding the optimum is an iterative process, narrowing down the variables (s.
Figure 3) and leading to the best compromise. Optimizing one system or subsystem might
impair the functionality of other systems. One example is the implementation of a Roll-
Reduction Tank at a high position in the vessel. This tank will increase the comfort on board,
by increasing the vertical centre of gravity (VCG) and therefore the roll period. On the
downside, a higher VCG has got a negative impact on the stability of the ship. With regards
to the arrangement, a roll-reduction tank might be a challenge to place in the arrangement
(as it stretches over the complete breadth of the ship) due to required staircases, escape
routes and emergency exits.

4. System Integration
System integration is a discipline that combines processes and procedures from systems
engineering, systems management, and product development for the purpose of developing
large-scale complex systems that involve hardware and software and may be based on
existing or legacy systems coupled with totally new requirements to add significant
functionality (McGraw-Hill, 2003).

Successful system integration requires good cooperation between the different disciplines of
a design company. The designer or naval architect has to work together with the engineers
from the Structure, the Machinery, the Electrical and the Hydro Departments.

For example, the piping system, the electrical system, the HVAC system and all equipment
on board has to be coordinated, so that no system interferes with another system in a
negative way. Nowadays, 3D modeling is an inevitable tool in ship design and system
integration.
Figure 6 illustrates this, using the 3D models of the piping system, the equipment and the
electric system on board as an example.
 Equipment

Piping Electric
System system

Figure 6: 3D modeling as a tool in system integration

Integrating equipment and connecting their subsystems to the main system of the ship
requires sufficient information by the sub supplier. This includes details about the scope of
supply, system drawings and information of all necessary specific values. Therefore, the right
information is needed at the right time for a successful integration of the equipment into the
main system, the ship.

Integrating a system into a ship is not only the physical integration; it is also the functional
integration. With today’s technology, more and more information becomes available
everywhere on board, at any time. Power Management Systems (PMS), Dynamic Positioning
Systems (DP) and Integrated Automation Systems (IAS) are examples of important parts of
the complex information system on board. Their information needs to be routed in the
correct way to the correct recipient(s).
Besides routing information in the correct way and making it available everywhere on board
at any time, it is getting more and more important to limit the visible and audible
information. The user should not be overloaded by information he does not need for a
certain operation. Otherwise, the operator will not be able to process all the available
information, limiting his working efficiency and maybe bringing others into danger by
overlooking essential warnings.
5. The role of Rolls-Royce Marine, Ship Technology - Offshore Systems
Rolls-Royce Marine is an equipment supplier as well as a ship design company. Three large
market segments are covered by Rolls-Royce Marine: offshore, merchant and naval.
Currently, more than 30.000 vessels are sailing worldwide with a Rolls-Royce design and/or
equipment on board. The customer can choose between single pieces of equipment, a ship
design with an integrated equipment package or an equipment package without a ship
design. These different choices for the degree of scope of supply are illustrated in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Degree of the scope of supply by Rolls-Royce Marine

Rolls-Royce’s approach to integration enables delivery of complete system solutions – from

concept and feasibility studies to ship design, equipment selection, procurement, systems
engineering and integration.
System integration at Rolls-Royce Marine implies one contact, one supplier and just one deal.
This entails a more reliable and more cost-effective solution. Figure 8 shows some examples
of the wide product range of Rolls-Royce Marine.
 Figure 8: System integration by Rolls-Royce Marine with a wide product range of in-house
equipment

In an international market, like the offshore industry, this market strategy enables Rolls-
Royce Marine to adapt more easily to the needs of its customers and the market.

System integration at Rolls-Royce is taken even further, by offering tailored training courses
and programs for the customers, ensuring safe and secure operation. Besides that, products
are developed to meet the needs and requirements of the customer, with the aim to be as
user-friendly as possible. A common control philosophy, common hardware (controllers,
monitors, I/O units, switches, etc.) and common software create recognizability for all Rolls-
Royce products.
An example of successful ship design and system integration at Rolls-Royce is the new
unified bridge (Figure 9). It is a human-centered design with focus on safety, performance,
simplicity and proximity.
 Figure 9: Rolls-Royce unified bridge

Functions include operation planning, execution and monitoring, based on clearly presented
information. The human-machine interface is based on an extensive study of requirements.
Crews differ in height, arm reach and other parameters, so the system allows the operator to
find a comfortable position, sitting or standing as needed, with controls ergonomically placed
and necessary information presented on touch screens.
Consistency in command transfer, system operation and alarm handling enhances
operational safety. (Rolls-Royce, Integrated Bridge Systems, 2013)
 6. Conclusion/Outlook
The shipping world is a constantly changing industry. Especially in the offshore segment,
operating areas are getting more diverse with vessels entering deeper waters and colder
areas. Hull designs and the equipment and systems on board have to be adapted
accordingly.

International Rules and Regulations are getting more stringent in respect to environmental
issues and safety aspects.

Competitiveness between vessel operators requires more work- and cost-efficient vessels.

All these factors play an important part in designing the ships of the future, requiring an
even closer cooperation of ship designers, ship owners, charterers and equipment suppliers.

As stated above, Rolls-Royce Marine has an advantage in keeping and strengthening its
market position due to the large variety of in-house products in the market segments.
However, the research and development has to continue, within the Rolls-Royce system as
well as in cooperation with business partners, leading to even better ship designs and
improved system integration.

7. Bibliography
Bruinessen, T., Hopman, J., & Smulders, F. (2012). Improved Models in the Design of
Complex Specials: Success or failure? IMDC 2012: 11th International Marine Design
Conference. Glasgow.

Evans, J. (1959). Basic Design Concepts. Naval Engineers Journal , 671-678.

IACS. (2011). www.iacs.org.uk. Retrieved from

http://iacs.org.uk/document/public/explained/Class_WhatWhy&How.PDF.

McGraw-Hill. (2003). Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Termans. The McFraw-Hill

Companies.

Mistree, F., Smith, W., Bras, B., & Allen, J. (1990). Decision-Based Design: A Contemoporary
Paradigm for Ship Design. Annual Meeting. San Francisco: The Society of Naval Architects
and Marine Engineers.

Rolls-Royce. (2013). Integrated Bridge Systems. Retrieved August 18th, 2013, from Rolls-
Royce Marine - Products: http://www.rolls-royce.com/Images/110750-
05%20Mission%20control%20A4%204s%20Unified%20Bridge%20Brochure_tcm92-
36688.pdf

Rolls-Royce. (2013). Ship Technology Offshore. Rolls-Royce Marine AS.

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