HydroComp Develops Naval Engineering Software Programs

As the competition increases in the marine design field, more and more engineers, naval architects and design firms are turning to microcomputers to develop a marketing edge. Computer-aided calculations are convenient, consistently accurate and fast. The only problem is finding the right software for each job.

HydroComp, Inc., based in Durham, N.J., is one of the few firms in the country offering software programs designed specifically for naval engineering applications. To meet the demand, Hydrocomp now offers NAVCAD—naval architectural computer-aided design software.

HydroComp's programs take standard engineering calculations and package them into a format that is easy, consistent and extremely fast to use. Programs are designed for use on the IBM PC or compatible systems. To aid infrequent users, the company has built automatic checks into NAVCAD and has included an extensive users' manual.

HydroComp recently rewrote three NAVCAD programs—POWER, PROPS and PROPS PLUS—to make them easier to use.

A speed and powering program called POWER calculates vessel resistance and ehp. HydroComp used three well-known ship resistance regressions: the MARIN Regression for conventional displacement vessels, the Great Lakes Bulk Carrier Regression for very full GLBC-type vessels and a Modified Stavitsky Regression for planing hulls. The resistance calculations may be "optimized" by using a modification which applies model test results of a "family-type" hull to empirically fair the coefficient of residuary resistance.

All resistances and appropriate coefficients, and ehps are printed to the screen and/or printer.

Also included in the POWER program is an shp calculation which uses the vessel characteristics and ehp output. Additional propeller data is required. Using appropriate regression equations, propulsive coefficients are determined. Then the program performs an "offdesign point" calculation to determine propeller conditions and shaft power. The propeller evaluation is based on polynominalized data for B-Series, Gawn-Burrill or Kaplan/ Nozzle propellers.

PROPS is a propeller program HydroComp designed to analyze propulsion systems. This program evaluates a range of design or offdesign points, for either free-running or towing conditions for BSeries, Gawn-Burrill or Kaplan/ Nozzle configurations. Various propeller characteristics are needed as well as hull and engine data for offdesign point evaluation. "Complete system values are determined and printed onto the screen or printer, showing thrusts, torques, horsepowers, propeller coefficients and cavitation data," Donald MacPherson, naval architect/marine engineer and vice president of the firm, explained.

Going one step further, PROPS PLUS includes all the calculations in PROPS, plus an optional preliminary calculation to select the diameter, pitch, blade area ratio and reduction gear ratio of an optimal propeller.

"We've redesigned these three programs so that a user can easily step through them without any supporting documentation, Mr. Mac- Pherson said.

For further literature containing full information about these as well as additional NAVCAD programs from HydroComp, Inc., Circle 35 on Reader Service Card

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 109, Nov 1985

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.