3-D geometric modeler for rapid ship safety assessment

CAD systems are used broadly in the shipbuilding industry. CAD systems for naval architecture are a useful tool for hull form, internal arrangement and the structural design of ships. These systems require high precision and expertise for efficient use. Therefore, these systems are not appropriate in supporting emergency responses, which require rapid modeling even if it generates some errors. This paper describes a geometric modeler for rapid ship safety assessment. The modeler is developed based on the 3-D geometric modeling kernel ACIS. The definition of hull form, internal arrangement and major longitudinal structural members is a fundamental function of the modeler. The developed modeler is interfaced with other applications used for ship safety assessment such as hydrostatic calculation, ship motion analysis in wave condition, longitudinal strength analysis and so on. In addition, it can generate a new ship model by making variations in a previously defined ship model. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.