DNV Software is forging ahead at the front of the pack with Nauticus Hull. Our customers can now enjoy the most efficient design and verification tool for CSR Bulk.

The support for Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in particular has been radically improved with an enhanced version of GeniE and a new automatic code check. The overall goal of this Nauticus Hull upgrade has been to shorten the design loop, making the design process faster and with a higher degree of transparency and quality. With this new version of Nauticus Hull for CSR Bulk, DNV Software hopes to strengthen its reputation as a pioneering leader in the market for strength assessment of marine structures in general and ships in particular. The latest round of improvements and new features of Nauticus Hull include:

• An improved graphical representation of the entire vessel with compartments and cross sections
• A completely new, efficient and flexible compartment modeller
• An improved and highly flexible load definition module integrated with the compartment modeller
• A new cross section analysis and post-processing module for handling multiple Section Scantling analyses
• An automatic code check for yield and buckling of plated structures in GeniE
• The import of relative deflections from FEA results to fatigue strength calculations of longitudinals at transverse bulkheads

Design loop tightens
The overall goal is to make the design process shorter, with a higher degree of quality. A key element is to shorten the design loop.

The team at DNV Software has worked hard to offer the best product for DNV customers. Key customers worldwide have given feedback and suggestions throughout the software development process. “We have a strong focus on making it simple for our customers to make design iterations,” says Torbjørn Lindemark, Nauticus Product Manager at DNV Software. “This, in turn, means a shorter design lead time.”

Nauticus Hull is the only software on the market to offer concept modelling, which enables designers to include more information in a core model, which is used later for many different analyses, in addition to post-processing and rule checks. Only the one model needs to be updated to affect changes in all subsequent analyses, processing and rule checks. Capacity models can be generated for the complete model or for selected parts. “It’s a huge timesaver,” says Lindemark.

With GeniE, strength assessment can be brought closer to the core design process.

The reporting and documentation functions in GeniE are in a class of their own. The new automatic code check for yield and buckling of plated structures strengthens GeniE’s position as the preferred structural analysis tool. Features include checks against allowable stress levels and buckling according to the Common Structural Rules for bulk carriers. Along with the plate code check, the report generator is also extended with a template tailored according to the CSR bulk requirements.

Faster
In Nauticus Hull, cross sections and compartments are visualised in a graphical model of the vessel. In addition to providing immediate feedback on data input, the graphical presentation enables a quick overview of the current status of modelling and rule check analysis. The new compartment modeller is designed to facilitate efficient modelling and entry of compartment data and loads. Section Scantlings is used as a basis for defining cross sections and transverse bulkheads. It provides a powerful tool for fast generation of compartments in the cargo area.

In GeniE, it is now possible to run code checking of both plated and frame type structures. The buckling capacity model is automatically generated with net scantlings and panel geometry in agreement with the detailed rule requirements, including complex non-rectangular plate panels, according to the CSR bulk requirements.

The code check results can be viewed graphically or in table format. Detailed results for each panel with intermediate results are available. Panel settings can be altered, and subsequent redesigns are easily done. Several panel settings can be altered for each run, such as settings for Correction Factor, Panel Net Thickness, Panel Length/Breadth, and Rotation boundary for Panel Buckling.

The GeniE report generator comes with templates that easily generate reports for viewing in text format, HTML format, spreadsheet or a formatted report. Customisable filters limit the amount of data reported. Report settings can be saved, making it easy to recreate the same report in another code checking run. All of these improvements add up to major time saving and a better design process for the customer.

Author: Kaia Means, MediaMix

Date: 2009-05-05