Overview
Since the design of Ro-Ro Passenger vessels continued over the years to be based on the deterministic rules, there is a lack of experience regarding the use of the probabilistic approach and the eventual impact on ship design.
This lack of design experience and systematic research, along with the forthcoming harmonization of the damaged stability regulations on the basis of the probabilistic concept by IMO (expected to enter into force January 1, 2007) motivated the set-up of ROROPROB project.
- The technical and scientific objectives of the project were subdivided into three main categories:
- To evaluate the robustness of a probabilistic rules-based design procedure in a range of scenarios and its sensitivity to the main design parameters involved in the assessment process and hence define suitable constraints as appropriate.
- To develop local and global optimisation techniques for enhanced damage stability characteristics and integrate these within the design methodology.
- To demonstrate the developed probabilistic rules-based methodology on Ro-Ro concept designs to meet specific user-defined criteria and requirements.
The most important practical outcome of the project will be the development of integrated software tool enabling practical ship design applications. All partners indicated that with the developed tool, the designer can find non-obvious solutions which could improve the stability performance and the cargo capacity of the vessel.
Funding
Results
The project ROROPROB developed a formalised design methodology for the optimal compartmentation and internal arrangements of passenger Ro-Ro ships, adopting the probabilistic concept of damage stability to address their survivability after damage.
During ROROPROB, the robustness of a probabilistic rules-based design procedure in a range of scenarios and its sensitivity to the main design parameters involved in the assessment process were evaluated and hence, suitable constraints were defined as appropriate. Local and global optimisation techniques for enhanced damage stability characteristics were developed and integrated within the design methodology in order to demonstrate that the developed probabilistic rules-based methodology on Ro-Ro concept designs meets specific user-defined criteria and requirements.
The formalised design methodology coupled with the optimisation procedure for addressing optimally one of the absolutely basic needs of a ship (namely her subdivision), in the form of an integrated computer software is the main result of the ROROPROB project. Its use in practical ship design has been successfully demonstrated by the end users of the project and provided (and will further give) a competitive advantage to the project partners in the future, by supporting the development of cost-effective and safe Ro-Ro designs and creating new opportunities of employment.