Parametric Optimisation in Concept and Pre-contract Ship Design Stage

The design of a ship is a delicate compromise between conflicting requirements and constraints imposed by the shipowner and all involved stakeholders. Α ship needs to be optimised for cost-effectiveness, operational efficiency, safety and comfort of passengers and crew and, nowadays, for minimum environmental impact. Ship design is considered to comprise both art and science, highly dependent on the creativity, ingenuity and experience of accomplished naval architects, with good background in many fundamental and specialised scientific and engineering subjects. Parametric models could be a valuable tool for the experienced naval architect, especially if they can be used as the core of a formal optimisation procedure, facilitating the rational exploration of the design space and the identification of a series of ‘optimal’ or ‘near-optimal’ design solutions, while at the same time fulfilling a given set of design constraints. The implementation of such a design procedure, along with parametric models specifically developed for the concept and pre-contract design of a medium-size RoPAX, is presented and discussed in the present chapter.