International Journal of Maritime Engineering

A SIMPLIFIED METHOD TO DETERMINE THE REQUIRED SIZE OF THE AFT CONTROL SURFACES ON A SUBMARINE

Martin Renilson — 2026-04-21

The size of the aft control surfaces required on a submarine will depend on its length/diameter ratio, and the desired stability in the vertical plane. This is an important element in the design of a submarine. This paper presents a simplified way of determining the size of the aft control surfaces in order to achieve the desired level of stability in the vertical plane at the very early stage in the design of the submarine. The results are compared with the sizes of the aft control surfaces on a range of existing submarines, and it is shown that there is good agreement between the simplified prediction approach, and the actual sizes used.

A ROBUST HOLISTIC OPTIMIZATION SHIP DESIGN APPROACH WITH VOYAGE SIMULATION PRINCIPLES AND ITS APPLICATIONS

LAMPROS NIKOLOPOULOS — 2026-04-21

The challenges commercial shipping faces in terms of the IMO decarbonisation agenda in combination with volatile freight and capital markets call for the drastic rethinking of the way ships are designed and operated in the next decades. This paper presents a novel approach that allows the creation of a robust, market-informed, simulation-supported framework, able to systematically explore at an early stage the multi-variable, multi-objective design space for large oceangoing commercial vessels (bulkers, tankers, containerships etc.). It results in a rigorous exploitation of the available solutions improving the decision-making process. The Robust Holistic Optimisation Ship Design Approach (RHODA) combines voyage simulation with multiple layers of uncertainty: voyage, environmental, market and method. A case study on its impact on the design optimisation path for a conventional bulk carrier and its sensitivity and comparison to “deterministic” approaches is presented.

Numerical Calculations of Maneuvering Damping and Added Mass Coefficients up to the Third Order for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Mahmoud Rostami Varnousfaaderani — 2026-04-21

In this paper hydrodynamic coefficients of AUV including maneuvering damping and added mass coefficients are investigated up to the third order using the FVM. The PMM module is implemented in two situations to calculate the moment and force for yaw and sway motions. To estimate the hydrodynamic coefficients, the sixth-order polynomial equations are interpolated for forces and moments in terms of velocity and acceleration (linear and rotational). Using the obtained equations and the determination of each coefficient, the maneuvering damping and added mass coefficients are extracted up to the third order. The results show that the added mass coefficient of the yaw moment is 1.94, which shows an error of less than 0.5% compared to the experimental results. On the other hand, the ratio of the length to the diameter is investigated. The approach presented in this study will increase the accuracy and reduce the calculation time.

COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING OF SEMI-DISPLACEMENT HULL IN DEEP AND SHALLOW WATER

Konstantin Matveev — 2026-04-21

Fast marine vessels often operate in the semi-displacement mode when hydrodynamic lift plays an increasingly important role and hull trim and sinkage become speed-dependent. The shallow-water effects may also alter hydrodynamic characteristics of such hulls. In this study, computational fluid dynamics simulations have been carried out for a high-performance semi-displacement hull. Numerical results were validated against deep-water test data over a broad speed range. Shallow-water simulations were conducted at three speeds ranging from the fast displacement to semi-planing regimes at the critical depth-based Froude number and three shallow water depths. The hull hydrodynamic characteristics and associated wave patterns are presented. The appearance of a solitary wave and drag hump at a lower speed and reduction of drag in very shallow water are observed. These results can be useful for designers of semi-displacement vessels.

The integration of robotic sailboats into the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) Initiative for robotics education

Jian Wan — 2026-04-21

The CDIO^TM Initiative is an innovative educational framework providing students with an education stressing engineering fundamentals set in the context of Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) real-world systems and products. The focus of the CDIO Initiative is to produce industry-ready graduates through practice and it has become increasingly popular, especially in engineering education. The CDIO Initiative has used various platforms such as wind turbines and eco-cars for developing the corresponding curriculum of engineering education. This paper aims to introduce and integrate robotic sailboats into the CDIO Initiative through the corresponding curriculum development for robotics education. Initial results of such an approach have demonstrated the suitability as well as the benefits of using robotic sailboats for the CDIO Initiative of robotics education.

RECOMMENDED ADJUSTMENTS TO SHIP CREW TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR LEVEL 2 MARITIME AUTONOMOUS SURFACE SHIP TECHNOLOGIES

tun hao hsu — 2026-04-21

Maritime autonomous surface ship (MASS) technologies promise substantial advantages and benefits. These technologies are not expected to immediately replace existing commercial vessels and crews, but they already face challenges related to regulation, legislation, reliability, and scepticism. Although ship crews are considered the primary operators and adopters of unmanned vessels, they must continue to refine their skills in response to future challenges associated with technological advancement. Given the aforesaid circumstances, this study proposed various recommendations for crew training following the transition to Level 2 MASS technologies. The decision analytic network process was used to analyse the causality and weight of both main constructs and their sub-criteria. The results indicate that crew competencies is the most crucial construct. Future ship crews will require training focused on their ability to monitor MASS decision-making and increasing their proficiency in integrating software and hardware. MASS vessels should be designed with a modular approach, and more extensive training in artificial intelligence should be provided to ship crews.