Top 20 Software Used In Naval Architecture

Naval architecture is a complex field that is often tricky to work in. Architects and engineers can only visualize the final structure and have to work off reports and drawings to ensure that the final product meets the engineering and design aspects, says an article published in MarineInsight.

Main software

To improve the workflow, different software is used in this industry to ensure that the design and visualization processes are as close to reality as possible.

The main categories of software used by naval architects include:

1. CAD/CAM/CAE software
2. Structural analysis applications
3. Hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, and stability tools
4. Seakeeping & maneuvering tools
5. Project planning software
6. Integrated suites & workstations

CAD software provides initial designs of the external hull form of ships and offshore structures. These designs are then imported into static stability tools that ensure the design is stable.

Hydrodynamic tools ensure that the structure is also stable in wave and wind conditions. Certain applications can also estimate the resistance, recommend alterations, design appendages, and estimate the sailing speed for the design.

Once the external hull form is designed, various applications can be used to design the structural members inside the hull. They also allow the final general arrangement plan to be designed keeping in line with safety regulations and comfort requirements.

In this article, we take a look at the 20 most common software in the naval architecture industry. This list of software is by no means exhaustive- experienced naval architects use a variety of diverse applications to meet their requirements.

1. SolidWorks – CAD Modelling

Developed by Dassault Systèmes, SolidWorks is a Windows-based CAD and CAE software that has been in use since 1995. It is a solid modeler that works using features and parameterized functionalities. Parameters are used to define sketches that are then converted to models and assemblies.

2. AutoCAD – CAD Modelling

AutoCAD is a CAD software in use since 1982 and developed by Autodesk as a standalone application that provided CAD features to users outside mainframe systems. AutoCAD was a defining software in the engineering sector and remains one of the top CAD software in use. It can be used on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices, with options for student trials, academic licenses, and enterprise versions.

3. Ansys Structural – Structural Response and Strength

Ansys Workbench collectively refers to several modules available for Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), thermodynamic analysis, structural strength tests, and hydrodynamic response analysis. The most widely used module is Ansys Structural that is used to study the strength and response characteristics of complex geometries. Parts can be designed either in the native Design Modeller and Space Claim suites, or imported from SolidWorks, CATIA, and other CAD software.

4. Ansys Fluent – Computational Fluid Dynamics

Fluent in another industry-standard module developed by Ansys that can be linked with geometries defined natively or imported from other CAD software. Fluent deals with CFD or studying fluid responses around a body. Fluent can be used for a single phase of poly-phase flows to simulate conditions for the superstructure, submerged part of the hull, and the portion of the hull that operates in both the submerged and surfaced condition.

5. Ansys Aqwa – Seakeeping & Manoeuvring

Ansys Aqwa is used to study hydrodynamic response and performance of vessels, offshore structures, and renewable energy converters. It has application in modeling the responses of diverse structures ranging from ships and research vessels to FPSOs and semi-submersibles. Aqwa can model structure behavior in different operating conditions including sheltered harbors or the open ocean.

6. OrcaFlex – Hydrodynamic Response & Analysis

OrcaFlex is a dynamic analysis tool developed by Orcina (founded in 1986) commonly used in the shipbuilding and offshore industry. It is a licensable software that is used in diverse fields such as renewable energy, oceanography, seismic studies, defense systems, aquaculture, oil & gas industry, subsea operations, and hydrodynamic studies.

7. WAMIT – Numerical Computation & Processing

WAMIT is a numerical-solving program that estimates wave loading and dynamic behavior of offshore and maritime structures under various wave loading conditions. The software was developed at MIT and stands for Wave Analysis MIT (WAMIT).

8. STAAD Pro – Structural Analysis

STAAD Pro, built by Research Engineers International in 1997 and bought by Bentley Systems in 2005, is a structural analysis application that is used in various industries to model the structural performance of complex geometries. It can be applied to diverse scenarios including buckling, p-delta, geometric non-linear, and pushover analysis. STAAD also makes use of the design codes of more than 90 international standards.

9. OpenFOAM – Computational Fluid Dynamics

OpenFOAM, developed in C++, is an open-source toolbox for numerically solving CFD and poly-phase flow around bodies. It is an acronym for Open-source Field Operation And Manipulation. OpenFOAM is a common CFD software that is widely used due to the open GNU license.

10. Simcentre Star CCM+ – Computational Fluid Dynamics

Developed by Siemens Digital Industries, Star CCM+ is a CFD software used in fields such as automobile engineering, naval architecture, and industrial layout planning. It allows users to model diverse features including fluid flow heat transfer, element stress, particulate flow, electromagnetics, and fluid phenomena. The CFD module is also able to handle complex phenomena such as flow through porous media, multiphase flow, non-Newtonian fluid modeling, turbulence analysis, and viscoelasticity in the fluid.

11. MaxSurf – Hydrodynamics, Stability & Resistance

Developed by Bentley Systems, MaxSurf is a part of a suite of programs intended to cover the lifecycle of ship design and construction. MaxSurf specifically works in creating initial designs and testing the hull form performance. Rather than using a NURBS-based model, it allows more control over hull splines. Based on the hull model, the user can obtain a variety of hydrostatic and hydrodynamic data including resistance and RAOs. MaxSurf also provides the latest stability criterion based on design estimates and provides regulations that guide the ship design.

12. MOSES – Offshore Hydrodynamic Analysis

MOSES is another software from Bentley System and part of its overall naval architecture and marine engineering suite. Unlike MaxSurf that primarily focuses on ships and other ocean-going vessels, MOSES is an integrated offshore simulation software in use by various industries including the oil & gas sector and the offshore renewable energy field.

13. Rhinoceros 3D – CAD Modelling

Rhino3D is a CAD software from Robert McNeel & Associates and is modeled using the NURBS modeling of vessel hulls. It is a freeform surface modeler i.e.; it provides freedom to the user to draw hull forms within the limits of the NURBS models. Models can be exported to other software in a variety of file extensions including “.dwg/.dxf”, “.iges/.igs”, “.sldprt/.sldasm”, and “.3ds”.

14. FORAN System – CAD & CAE Modelling, Maritime Project Management

Developed by SENER, a private engineering firm that works closely with the software employed in engineering applications, FORAN System is an integrated CAD and CAE software used in the maritime industry. With extensive use in designing both ocean-going vessels and offshore structures, it can be used for any stage of the design and construction processes. FORAN is largely a database-driven software that utilizes GPU capabilities to visualize geometries and design parameters.

15. MATLAB – Numerical Computation & Processing

MATLAB, developed by MathWorks, is a heavy-duty mathematical and engineering software extensively used by naval architects, marine engineers, offshore researchers, and other maritime professionals to handle and process large quantities of data. MATLAB comes with a host of features used to model and study physical phenomena, geometries, and structures in the form of mathematical systems. The software is often combined with Simulink, a simulation suite from MathWorks that is used to simulate fluid flow, structural response, and hydrodynamic responses.

16. Aveva Marine – Integrated Maritime Solutions

Aveva is a leading engineering software organization that specializes in the maritime and marine sectors. They offer a host of solutions ranging from ship design to digital twinning and remote maintenance tools.

17. NUPAS Cadmatic – Integrated Maritime Solutions

NUPAS Cadmatic is an engineering solutions provider in different fields, including the marine and offshore sectors. Their marine design software solutions ensure the standardized quality of design and engineering during the project lifecycle. Their diverse solutions cover a range of features naval architects require, and most functionalities are data-driven.

18. NAPA – Integrated Maritime Solutions

NAPA is a marine engineering software firm that specializes in the integration of CAD with data analysis and other software solutions. It provides features that look into phases right from design to operations.

19. FreeShip – Open-Source Hull Modelling

FreeShip is open-source software that is used to model the hull form of maritime vessels ranging from ocean-going ships to yachts and boats. It works based on mathematically modeling the hull using a subdivision approach. Opting for subdivision surfaces provides a greater deal of flexibility and users are not restricted to NURBS curves.

20. MS Excel – The software that ties it all together

The last software on this list may raise a few eyebrows but is an essential tool for any naval architect. In the realm of complicated software that models complex phenomena, MS Excel is an easy means to simplify the data, break it down into manageable processes, and visualize various aspects of the construction life cycle.

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Source: MarineInsight

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