Incat Crowther collaborated with Bhagwan Marine and Neptune Marine Services on this AUD 30 million project in Dampier, Australia, to develop a first-of-a-kind, integrated catamaran. The goal was to design one vessel capable of performing six functions: dive support, geophysical survey, geotechnical survey, cargo transport, hyperbaric rescue, and safety standby. Challenges included SOLAS 2009 (Safety of Life at Sea) compliance, efficient space arrangement, and displacement and draught control.
With such a varied array of operational roles, this project required unique solutions not only in the allocation of compartments and spaces, but also with the specification of a flexible, high-redundancy propulsion system. Numerous arrangement prototypes were analyzed based on 3D hull-form and compartment configurations developed in Bentley’s MAXSURF software. This allowed the team to select the optimal arrangement with the highest operational safety while enabling performance of all intended roles.
Using the MAXSURF software, particularly MAXSURF Stability Enterprise, the time required to accurately determine the stability characteristics of the vessel was reduced from a projected three months to one month. The software allowed the team to quickly identify innovative solutions, automate the required analyses, and integrate SOLAS regulation compliance into the design. Capital costs were also reduced.
MAXSURF Modeler and MAXSURF Stability Enterprise were integrated into the design process to determine the overall intact and damage stability of the vessel, which enabled the team to develop 3D models of various hull-form and compartment configurations.
Using MAXSURF, the time required to accurately determine the stability characteristics of the vessel was reduced from a projected three months to one month.
The team’s innovative design reallocated compartments and re-specified the flexible, high-redundancy propulsion system. What sets this vessel apart from its peers currently operating in similar environments is the combination of six capabilities consolidated onto a singular purpose-built platform.
In summary, Incat was able to ensure compliance with international stability criteria and balance vessel performance requirements, using integrated software analysis tools. Through the use of the Maxsurf Enterprise Suite, the team was able to perform a range of analyses including intact and damaged stability, power and resistance calculation, vessel motion prediction, and structural stress analysis.
About MAXSURF. Maxsurf is a comprehensive suite of naval architecture software for creating faired hull shapes of any vessel type, ensuring compliance with stability requirements, minimizing power requirements, and ensuring crew and passenger comfort in varying sea states. Maxsurf also allows minimizing structural weight while ensuring scantling compliance through initial modelling and stress analysis of beam and plate structures.
About Bentley Systems, Inc. Bentley Systems is a software development company that delivers solutions for the entire lifecycle of the infrastructure asset, tailored to the needs of the various professions – the engineers, architects, planners, contractors, fabricators, IT managers, operators and maintenance engineers – who will work on and work with that asset over its lifetime.
For more information, visit: https://www.bentley.com