Ulstein Group (Norway)

Abstract Improving the efficiency and competitiveness of European Shipyards is one of the priorities of the HORIZON program, funded by the European Commission. The proper use of computational tools can accelerate this improvement, given that the shipbuilding industry faces a digitalization gap compared to other manufacturing industries. Our proposal is based on the ongoing Smart European Shipyard (SEUS) project, which aims to bridge the digital gap, focusing on integrating available computational tools, and converging into a new platform that enables faster engineering and technical management. This platform intends to provide a holistic approach to product lifecycle management (PLM) for shipbuilding, integrating existing and proven solutions in CAD/CAE with new data-driven technologies to handle shipbuilding knowledge efficiently. The paper presents a link between current challenges and possible ways to tackle them and a summary of the possible impacts this platform can achieve if adequately implemented. The paper closes with a call for peers to contribute to the discussion.

<h3>Abstract</h3> This article examines a murder allegation that lies at the heart of Karl Ove Knausgård’s novel <i>Min kamp</i>, and posits that the allegation serves dual purposes, namely, to investigate the purported murder of Knausgård’s father and to enact revenge. These endeavors raise questions that are foundational to the study of literature, regarding interpretation and moral responsibility. While the allegation suggests a specific suspect, it relies on aesthetic devices, notably on references to Shakespeare’s <i>Hamlet</i>, which are analyzed in depth throughout the article. Aarstein contends that that the murder allegation constitutes both the most morally contentious and the most aesthetically striking aspect of <i>Min kamp</i>.

In this paper we describe and discuss the current and future MSc specialization programme in marine systems design at the Norwegian University for Science and Technology (NTNU). We follow the structure of a design process. First, we identify relevant stakeholders. That includes industry, society and the students themselves, and we discuss what are their key needs and requirements for a master level education. Further, we outline what can be considered a conceptual solution for the marine systems design specialization programme´s structure and content. We apply two basic types of learning elements. First, a set of focused topic blocks covering central systems design models and methods to develop the required theoretical competence platform. Second, the students perform a series of creative, 'use case'-oriented collaborative development projects based on CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) principles. We discuss the “educational design solution” in terms of learning objectives vs. achieved results and evaluate the impact both from an academic and an industrial perspective.

To save costs and build competitiveness, Norwegian shipyards usually offshore some of the processes required to produce a ship, especially steel-related tasks, i.e., they have them carried out in a country with lower factor costs. This study aims to provide some quantitative evidence of the relationship between the degree of offshoring and the production time of offshore support vessels (OSVs) delivered from Norwegian shipyards. It builds upon a recent article that introduced a typology of offshoring in ship production (Semini et al. 2018, Journal of Ship Production and Design, 34(1), 59–71). We take into account contextual factors that are also expected to affect the production time of OSVs, in particular ship size and complexity, repeat production, and the global market situation. We apply multiple regression analysis on a sample of 156 OSVs delivered from nine Norwegian shipyards between 2010 and 2018. Each of these ships was, by plan and strategy, partly produced at a foreign yard, before one of the Norwegian yards took over, completed production, commissioned, tested, and finally delivered the ship. Results suggest that the higher the degree of offshoring is, the longer is the total ship production time. Only ship size explains even more of the production time variability in the sample than offshoring strategy. In addition to these two factors, evidence suggests that also repeat production and the global market situation have a significant impact on the production time. Our study contributes to the literature on the relationship between strategy and performance in shipbuilding. It provides new insights into how offshoring strategy and contextual, product- and market-related factors relate to ship production time based on quantitative, empirical evidence. From a methodological perspective, it illustrates how multiple regression analysis can be applied to ship-specific data as a benchmarking tool to measure and compare shipbuilding performance. Findings are first and foremost valid for the ships included in the study, which opens numerous opportunities for further research.

Handling complexity in conceptual ship design processes requires a thorough understanding of complexity aspects in general. More than 100 scientific papers on the subject published since 1962 are, therefore, reviewed and discussed in this paper. The paper expands the understanding of complexity theory by reviewing the literature in the engineering domain. Different definitions of complexity, characteristics of complex systems, aspects of complexity in design, complexity sources, and its drivers are explored and discussed in detail. Furthermore, the findings are arranged into relevant complexity factors in ship design. Related complexity factors in ship design, are also discussed by use of examples from everyday ship design practices. This study is a theoretical elaboration to shed light on the current practice and future research direction in handling complexity in conceptual ship design processes to improve competitiveness.

This paper focuses on the minimization of the harmonic distortion in multibus electrical grids of marine vessels using a single active power filter. An active power filter is commonly used for local harmonic mitigation. However, local filtering may lead to a “whack-a-mole” effect, where the reduction of harmonic distortion at the point of installation is coupled to an increase of distortion in other grid nodes. The few existing filtering methods that consider system-wide mitigation are based on an accurate model of the power grid, which may not be available if the complexity and the scale of the grid are large. In this work, we investigate the use of an extremum-seeking control method to optimize the injection current of an active power filter for system-wide harmonic mitigation. Because the extremum-seeking control method is model-free, it can be used without knowledge of the electrical grid. Moreover, the method can be implemented on top of the existing approaches to combine the fast transient response of conventional harmonic-mitigation methods with the optimizing capabilities of extremum-seeking control.

Recently, the efficiency of diesel–electric marine vessels has been subject for discussion with focus on improving fuel efficiency, reducing the environmental footprint from emissions, as well as reducing running hours and maintenance costs. This paper presents an analysis of load profiles extracted from three different vessels during operation: 1) a ferry; 2) a platform supply vessel; and 3) a seismic survey vessel. The analysis of the extracted data shows that the loadings of the diesel engines are typically quite low, and do not fall within the optimal loading range of diesel engines’ specific fuel oil consumption curves. Furthermore, three different power plant configurations are proposed and compared, which include fixed-speed (diesel engine generators) and variable-speed gensets and the implementation of an energy storage system. Moreover, energy management system (EMS) algorithms based on mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) are proposed as a suitable strategy for optimal unit commitment in the power generation. The results yielded from the MILP algorithms are compared with those from the EMS algorithms based on logic such as if/else statements. The results indicate that optimal EMS algorithms in combination with a revised vessel configuration can increase the operational efficiency, in terms of fuel savings and reduction in genset running hours.

The evolution of the use of electricity in marine vessels is presented and discussed in this paper in an historical perspective. The historical account starts with its first commercial use in the form of light bulbs on the SS Columbia in 1880 for illumination, going forward through use in hybrid propulsion systems with steam turbines and diesel engines and then transitioning to the present with the first fully electric marine vessel based entirely on the use of batteries in 2015. Electricity use is discussed not only in the light of its many benefits but also of the challenges introduced after the emergence of the marine vessel electrical power system. The impact of new conversion technologies like power electronics, battery energy storage, and the dc power system on overall energy efficiency, power quality, and emission level is discussed thoroughly. This paper guides the reader through this development, the present and future challenges by calling attention to the future research needs, and the need to revisit standards that relate to power quality, safety, integrity, and stability of the marine vessel power system, which are strongly impacted by the way electricity is used in the marine vessel.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the plausibility of applying Epoch-Era Analysis (EEA) as a systems engineering technique to evaluate whether an offshore subsea construction vessel (OSCV) can deliver sustained value to stakeholders over time in a complex, uncertain and changing technological, operational and commercial context. Additionally, the article discusses how to evaluate and interpret the results of such an analysis. As a basis for the EEA, a concise analysis of the current OSCV market and inherent development trends as to technology application and operational best practices should be included, to ensure realistic input parameters to the analysis.

Abstract An analysis of tenders for contracts requiring armourstone issued since 1991 has been carried out. The results show the market size, the impact of major projects, the proportion of deliveries by sea and the extent to which the CIRIA/CUR specifications have been adopted. Proposals from the CEN armourstone committee regarding grading and shape are discussed, together with developments in quality control procedures at the loading port.