Modular Approach in the Design of Small Passenger Vessels for Mediterranean

Abstract

This paper deals with the modular concept in the design of small passenger vessels for the Mediterranean, where the ship is assembled from three virtual modules (hull, power system and superstructure), enabling different vessel characteristics (speed, capacity, environmental performance, habitability, etc.). A set of predefined modules is established based on the investigation of market needs, where the IHS Fairplay database is taken as a reference for ship particulars and power needs, while the set of environmental regulation scenarios and requirements on ship habitability are taken as relevant for the design of ship power systems and superstructure modules, respectively. For the selected hull, a series of computations have been conducted to obtain their resistance and power needs which are further satisfied in the above-described manner. Within the illustrative example, a small passenger vessel with a capacity of 250 passengers is considered, with a detailed description of relevant modules that fit future design requirement scenarios. This approach is aimed at small-scale shipyards with limited research capabilities, who can quickly obtain the preliminary design of the vessel which can be further optimized to the final solution.