Presenting at SNAME FAST 2025 – Norfolk, Virginia

HydroComp naval architect Alex Walker will be presenting “Early-Stage System-Level Optimization of a Fast Planing Monohull” (authored by Donald MacPherson¹ [F], Stefan Harries² [M], Alex Walker¹ [M], Andreas Arapakopoulos²)  on October 29, 2025, 11:55 AM – 12:45 PM. He and HydroComp naval architect Evan Kawabata will be available for meetings and demonstrations the following day of the conference.

The advantages of early-stage design space exploration (DSE) are well-recognized in the fast ship design community. DSE can significantly influence both fundamental design and business decisions, and it can enhance the effectiveness of subsequent simulations that employ resource-intensive higher-order codes. This study examines the potential of resource-efficient reduced-order simulation to provide valuable early-stage DSE. A systematic comparison will be given to an existing comprehensive 11-meter planing craft R&D project. The reference project included viscous CFD predictions, towing tank tests, and full-scale sea trials. Hull form parametric variants are developed using CAESES® and will be coupled with NavCad® rather than CFD for performance simulation. The goal is to follow the same design path as the previous R&D project for side-by-side comparisons of outcomes and resource expenditures, while also enhancing the prior project by evaluating the system simulation through the energy demands of an electric motor drive, replacing conventional diesel engines.

¹HydroComp, Inc.
²FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS