The new Cunard cruise liner M/S Queen Mary 2 (QM2), nearing completion at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, has recently been on her first sea trial. She is not the first famous Cunard ship on which DNV has had an engagement in noise and vibration performance.
The legendary M/S Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) was re-engined in 1987 and DNV acted on this project as the owner's main consultant on noise and vibration. Although working for the yard for QM2, our previous work on QE2 may have contributed to the award of the vibration analyses contract for QM2.
Knowing how critical noise and vibration performance is for the reputation of a cruise liner, DNV was honoured to be trusted with the important task of the vibration analyses for QM2. A comprehensive finite element model of the whole ship was prepared and a set of analyses performed comprising calculation of the vibration levels caused by the forces from the four propellers as well as from the main engines.
One of the main challenges for such large cruise ships with a minimum of internal bulkheads is to keep the natural frequencies of the decks coupled together with the pillar systems away from the main excitation frequencies. During the course of the analyses modification was implemented to the pillar system comprising use of solid pillars.
The reports from measurements on the first sea trial show that the vibration levels for the ship are very low, and the owner and yard have expressed their satisfaction of the results.
For more information contact:
Hans.Smogeli@dnv.com