M.Eng.

Research Proposal
Master in Mechanical Engineering (by Research)

EVALUATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF SHIP HULL FORM

(AND THE STUDY OF ITS GENERATED WAVE PATTERNS)
USING OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

Ummu Saiyidah Najihah binti Zainudin

ummusaiyidah95@gmail.com

Supervisor(s):
1. Assoc Prof. Dr. Abu Hasan Abdullah, UTM
2. Mr. Nasrudin Ismail, UTM
3. Mr. Ahmad Fuaad Ahmad Sabki, Asia Marine Design Centre, UniKL

10 September 2018

School of Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Engineering
UNIVERSITY TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA
Abstract

Malaysia’s shipbuilding industry lacks advanced capability. Often time the design purview
is dictated by, and revolves around, commercial design codes whose inherent high initial
costs and subsequent debilitating maintenance costs tend to restrict design innovation
and blunt whatever competitive edge it might have. As small and medium sized ship-
building enterprises are SME with limited support and budgets, this situation leave them
in a straitened situation. This study is undertaken to redress this issue.

The research will integrate an alternative (vis-a-vis commercial solutions) software

platform for designing, optimizing, developing, and testing the hull, which is usually the
starting point for any ship design. A key factor in this integration process is the freedom
to incorporate the design and optimization solution with Marine Technology Centre’s
(MTC) own 20-year collection of model testing data and this requires the ability to
access the codes and modify them. The closed commercial packages for hull form design
and optimization currently in use at MTC are licensed in a way that this can not be
incorporated and they simply do not assimilate open source codes.

Ultimately the research is hoping to come out with “start-to-finish” solution and being a
smaller lab with limited support and budgets, the cost effectiveness and open access to
the codes lead us to believe that the most attractive possibility to have a real ”start-to-
finish” solution is by implementing workflows based on different open source modules
that fit exactly with pre-defined needs. Thus, the proposed alternative software
platform solution will draw, as much as possible, on the Open Source Computer-Aided
Engineering (OSCAE) software to consolidate its aim.

As a corollary of this effort, a pool of experts will be trained to handle this OSCAE-based
hull design and optimization solution; naval architect and ocean engineers who in turn
will provide support to the small and medium sized ship-building enterprises with highly
robust and cost-effective hull form design and optimization solution. This manpower
development will to be carried out in tandem with the software integration stage—one
integrating various open source modules and the other educating/training shipbuilders to
operate the integrated system.
1 Research Background

Today, design optimization capability is indispensable in the quest for super efficient
ships. Social, environmental and sustainability issues top the agenda and very much
influence the decision to build them. This underlying principle is demanding and if it
were to be meticulously met, computational simulation will play a major role in the ship
design process.

1.1 Hypothesis
This research will be threading a general hypothesis that:
“adopting a carefully packaged Open Source software based hull development solution
will cut down operating costs, removes hindrance to design exploration and innovation,
improves competitiveness without sacrificing accuracy and integrity of the design.”

Admittedly the question posed is rather broad and hardly a statistically testable
hypothesis. However, in its defence the nature of this initial exploratory study of the
integration, with multiple pieces of OSS modules mixed and matched to form a whole
hull development “picture”, makes it more a combinatorial optimization problem of
finding an optimal hull development solution from a finite set of OSS modules rather
than anything else.

The research will narrow and focus on an optimal solution through a process of
elimination which will take into account the following measures:
• compatibility of data protocols,
• degree of OSS reuse,
• maturity level of OSS modules,
• experience & skill of users, and
• select criteria (accuracy and integrity of design).

No psychometric response scale will be assigned to quantitatively relate all the above
measures at this stage of the study. However, a subjective assessment for each
combination of OSS modules as compared to user's previous experience with commercial
codes will be recorded—data and ideas it generates will be fine-tuned and recycled into
the next combination loop.
2 Objectives of the Research

This study embarks on the following objectives:

• To explore multiple possibilities of integrating pieces of OSCAE modules to form
an efficient “whole” hull development solution—this is a combinatorial
optimization problem of finding an optimal hull development solution from a
finite set of OSCAE modules
• To investigate the potential OSCAE codes for hull form design, evaluation and
optimization on a selected number of model
• To start and build a database that will archive details of ship models at MTC,
keeping relevant design parameters which have been studied, analyzed, modeled,
simulated develop a pool of ship building expert users who draw on open source
solution.

2.1 Preliminary work on untested and novel ideas

Although many of the OSS modules shortlisted for this study (see Figure 5) have been
around for a number of years, there has been little effort, to our knowledge, to
integrate them for the purpose of ship design, evaluation and optimization. This study
will be a preliminary work on the quest for a “start-to-finish” solution by implementing
workflows based on different OS modules that fit exactly with ship hull form design
needs.

2.2 Application of new approaches to “established” research topic

Hull design evaluation and optimization is an established research topic. Open source
software and integrating pieces of them to serve a pre-defined purpose (in this case hull
design and optimization), on the other hand, are new approaches. We believe OSS will
help us discard some of the inefficiencies and uneconomic practices of old in our ship
design process and by practising “open science”, of which open source software, open
data, and open access play key roles. It will allow us to reproduce the results of
computational and model testing experiments faster in our effort to seek better ways
for creating and engineering knowledge.
3 Methodology

3.1 Description of Methodology

3.1.1 Combinatorial Optimization of OSCAE Modules
The software integration will be pursued through “supported open source” model. It will
be packaged the way Ubuntu MATE Linux is packaged and distributed at the
OSCAE.Inititive Laboratory, School of Mechanical Engineering, UTM. Build will include:
• utilities (FREEship, Michlet),
• pre-processors (Salome, gmsh, Netgen, enGrid),
• solvers (OpenFOAM, Code_Saturne, Code_Aster, Dolfyn),
• post-processors (Salome, Paraview, VisIT),
that work on Linux/Windows platforms and are easy to install. The following procedure
will be used in the assessment of OSS integration:
1. Years of model testing experiments allows MTC to collect a substantial number of
models. These physical models will be digitized into offsets before being imported
into FreeShip for surface modeling.
2. Results from the surface modeling on each of these ship models will then be
compared against the model testing results done on the same model in the past.
3. This step will see the same data used in step 2 being exported to Michlet for the
calculation of the total resistance, far-field wave elevations and sea-bed
pressures of the hull. We believe there are rooms for improvement and other
methods to explore in both of these applications as we seek better ways of
creating and engineering new knowledge.
4. Further hull design evaluation and optimization will be based on the CFD analysis
before being recycled back to step 1 for fine-tuning. Here, various combinations
of pre-processor (PREP) + solver (SOLV) + post-processor (POST) will be put
through their paces, grazing their input data from steps 1 & 2 above. Each
combination of the solution will be packaged around a solver, for instance, the
first combination will probably be made up of
(a) Salome (PREP) + OpenFOAM (SOLV) + Salome (POST).
The second, third and fourth could be:
(b) gmsh (PREP) + OpenFOAM (SOLV) + Salome (POST)
(c) gmsh (PREP) + OpenFOAM (SOLV) + Paraview (POST)
(d) gmsh (PREP) + Code_Saturne (SOLV) + Paraview (POST)
and so on—and this is the combinatorial optimization problem, mentioned earlier, of
finding an optimal combination of hull design tools from a finite set of OSS modules. For
verification of the codes, results from OSS combinations will be compared against those
obtained from similar case simulated using commercial codes (ShipFlow, Ansys/Fluent).
 5. Through elimination process, this study will make recommendation on the best
combination and write manuals on implementing workflows based on this
combination. With technical supports (trained experts and helpful manuals)
bundled in, we foresee a viable commercial opportunity to push open source
software to ship building industry's SME who lack support and budgets.

3.1.2 Design, Evaluation & Optimization Workflow

3.1.2.1 Geometry construction
In this study, the models at MTC will be selected as evaluation and optimization models.
Initial design for the evaluation and optimization will be prepared the CAD model from
the existing vessel models at MTC. The CAD that will be used in this study are FreeCAD,
VariCAD, FREEship and Salome.

3.1.2.2 Mesh generation and boundary conditions

Mesh generation is an important part of CFD analysis. The accuracy and convergence of
the solutions depending to the mesh quality. There are two different type of mesh tool
that will be used in this research which are gmsh and Salome.

Figure 1 shows the dimensions of boundary conditions of the computational domain that
agree well with the minimum recommendations of ITTC.

Figure 1: Dimensions of the computational domain (ITTC- Recommended Procedures and

Guidelines).
• Front, top and bottom boundaries are selected a s velocity inlet. Back boundary is
selected as pressure outlet and both sides of tank are selected as symmetry plane.
• The right side of the cuboid is set as the symmetry plane and the rest of surface is
set as overset mesh. A no-slip boundary condition is set for the hull geometry.

3.1.2.4 Evaluation and optimization process flow

The evaluation and optimization process flow is shown in Figure 5. The flow simulations
are will be conducted by means of the nonlinear free surface potential flow module of
the CFD system OpenFOAM. OpenFOAM is first and foremost a C++ library program of
software designed to fulfill a particular purpose such as simulation of water wave which
able to run by a computer. On the basis of the waves computed with OpenFOAM a
detailed performance will be carried out in terms of the wave pattern resistance.

The ship hull form wave pattern and total resistance also will be analyzed and
calculated in the Paraview and Salome. Another wave analysis utilizing that will be used
are FreeShip and Michet software as shown in Figure 4. The result of the wave pattern
resistance will be evaluated based on the below theories:
• Kelvin ship waves (plan view): A theoretical approach presents the wave pattern
that is left behind by a ship at sea consists of a system of waves that envelopes of
these waves stands at a fixed angle of 19.5 degrees and have a characteristics
feathered pattern as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Lengthwise and transverse waves (Maver, 2004).

• Surface wave pattern (side view): In deep water, the wave pattern consists of
transverse and diverging waves as shown as kelvin wave pattern. However, the
creation of waves requires energy. As ship speed increase, the height of the waves
produces by the ship is also increases. Theoretically, the relationship between
speed and wavelength are as shown in Figure 3 below:
 Figure 3: Wave Pattern vs Speed (Rafael, 2011).

Figure 4: Example of wave pattern generated using Michlet software (Leo, 2015).
3.2 Flow Chart of Research Activities

Figure 5: Flow chart research activities.

3.3 Gantt Chart of Research Activities

YEAR 2018 2019 2020

MONTH 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

1 Research Mobilisation. ●
Hardware & Software Consolidation for Design
2 ● ●
Environment.

3 Surface Modelling using FREEship ● ●

4 Resistance Calculation using Michlet ● ● ©

Steps 5--8 but with constant SOLV=OpenFOAM and POST=Salome. Comparative study (prep duration, speed of execution, stability, accuracy) of different OSS solvers.
OSS CFD analysis using PREP=Salome;
5 SOLV=OpenFoam; POST=Salome ● ©
Repeat step 6 using PREP=gmsh;
6 SOLV=OpenFOAM; POST=Salome ● ©
Repeat step 6 using PREP=Netgen;
7 SOLV=OpenFOAM; POST=Salome ● ©
Repeat step 6 using PREP=enGrid;
8 SOLV=OpenFOAM; POST=Salome ● ©
Comparative Analysis (Results from OSS codes,
9 ●
effect of different SOLV) ©
Step 10 repeat steps 5--8 but with constant SOLV=OpenFOAM and POST=Paraview. Comparative study (prep duration, speed of execution, stability, accuracy) of different OSS solvers.
Repeat steps 6, 7, 8, 9 using SOLV=OpenFOAM;
10 POST=Paraview ● ©
Comparative Analysis (Results from OSS codes,
11 ● ©
effect of different POST)

PREP-SOLV-POST Combination Matrix to choose

optimum combination (taking into account data
12 compatibility, degree of OSS reuse, maturity level ● ©
of OSS modules, experience & skills of users,
select criteria)

Workflow and manuals preparation

13 ● ● ©