Abstract
The range of sizes and duties of merchant ships is now so wide that applied research has to be directed to solving the particular problems of those ships which make up the majority of those at present on order, and where the technology is developing very rapidly, i.e. the very large wet and dry bulk carriers, and the fast cellular container ships. It is perhaps surprising that rather similar problems have arisen for such dissimilar looking ships; in hydrodynamics, concerning flow around new hull forms, particularly at bow and stern; in vibrations and stresses induced by the waves and by the uneven flow into the propeller; and in refined structural analysis required by the new complex configurations and sizes.
The high capital cost of such ships has led to greater attention being paid to engineering economics and to better integration of the design and production processes, where the computer is already making a significant contribution. The productivity of the shipyards is also being improved by the introduction of flow line production in the steelworking shops, using special numerically controlled machines, semi-automatic welding, and improved inspection. Future work is being focused on the problems of assembly on the berth and building dock, and on fitting out the machinery and services.
The work is challenging, not only because of the tough economic climate in which shipping and shipbuilding operate, both nationally and internationally, but also because the scientific, technological and practical aspects are so much interwoven in all the work, ranging from difficult mathematical theory through model experiments to measurements on full-scale ships.
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