This article intends to give a brief idea as to
what naval architecture is all about. An extremely disciplined field, naval
architecture is all about constructing and designing a ship in the most
efficient way. Find out the important role of naval architecture in the article
inside.
Role of Naval Architecture Through the Ages
Ships are one of the oldest forms of transport
used by men. Over the time, their structure, functions and equipments have been
subjected to constant evolution. These constant evolutions have been propelled
by the ever changing patterns of world trade, the necessity of the economic
alterations and the incessant advances in technology. Among these, technology
has been a vital factor in providing opportunities to build larger, faster and
safer ships.
Naval architecture has been an intrinsic part of
the evolution of ships, which has been captivating and equally demanding at the
same time. Naval architecture is a discipline that requires highest degree of
discipline as well. It is demanding because there is large amount of capital
investment that goes in the making of the ship and also because ship building
is a risky job. Find out what role naval architecture play in ship
construction.
Diversity demands
Only a busy port will depict the diversity in the
structures of floating vessels. It is because of this diversity in the
structure and function of ships that there arises a need in applying of
different ways in constructing a modern ship. Moreover, the conditions and the
functions of a particular ship also play a vital role in the making of the
ship.
For example, there are fishing vessels, ranging
from small fishing boats that operate daily to the deep ocean explorers that
demand facilities for deep freezing their catches. Similarly, there are small
coastal cargo carriers to extremely large cargo carriers (VLCC), drill ships
for the explorations of gas, oil and minerals, and small as well as giant
super-tankers that carry oil, gases and chemicals.
Apart from this, small tugs are used for towing,
and dredgers and pilot boats are used for the proper functioning of the ports.
For defence purpose, there are warships which ranges from huge aircraft
carriers to frigates, whereas the huge bulk carriers carry grains, coal, ore
and raw materials. Last but not the least, there are ferries as well as massive
cruise liners that carry passengers to different corners of the world on long
voyages. Thus, it can be seen that it is the variety of functions that demand
the variety in the construction and design of ships. Naval architecture fulfils
these demands.
What Drives the Demands?
As the structure and size of the ship vary, the
demands also vary. How? Read on...
Let’s take an example of a large cruise liner. A
large cruise liner is a whole township or a small city in itself. This means,
it has several thousands of people onboard. As a result it requires electricity,
air conditions, galleys, restaurants, recreation auditoriums etc. In order to
accommodate all the necessities under one roof, the ship’s general layout must
me so strong and impeccable that it can carry out its intended tasks
effectively and economically. But that is not the end of the factors that need
to be taken into consideration, for there is a crucial aspect that needs to be
considered – the safety of the ship. As there are several thousands of people
on board a ship, it is absolutely important that the ship is safe in all
aspects. Thus, naval architecture helps in perfect ship construction according
to demands.
Additional aspects to be taken into consideration
The kind of propulsion system used on a ship also
plays an important role in the design and construction of the ship. In the
past, the ships had sails which used wind for the propulsion of the ship, but
nowadays all ships are driven by a mechanical propulsion system. The driving
power can be generated by diesel engine, steam turbine, gas turbine, or some
form of fuel cells. Including the propulsion system, there are many other
systems on board the ship for its efficient working and it is therefore
important that the ship’s layout conciliates with the various systems.
One more thing that is taken into consideration
for designing a ship is that not all the ports have the facility to accommodate
all types and sizes of ships. This means that the geography and the depth of
water at the port might abstain large ships from entering inside. Also, not all
ports have the facilities for loading and discharging all types of cargo. For
example, not all ports have the facility of gantry cranes for the loading and
unloading of containers. This means that a container ship will never be sent to
a port where there are no facilities of gantry cranes. This ensures that ships
spend far less time in loading and unloading, cargoes remain more secure and
most importantly port fees are reduced.
Thus naval architecture deals with the whole
process of designing and construction of ship, keeping various aspects in mind.
The sole purpose is to create the best possible ship to meet the operator’s
needs by keeping the ship’s design flexible, safe and one which is able to
adjust considerable level of risk. Naval architecture thus provides a foolproof
design, taking all the possibilities into consideration to reduce the
consequences of an unavoidable accident and keep the risk factor as low as
possible.
Also, while architecting a ship, an important
factor that is taken into consideration is the effects of dangerous and toxic
cargoes in case there is an accidental spillage due to collision or human
error. There are already stringent rules made pertaining to the adverse effects
of toxic cargoes on environment that cannot be compromised and thus it’s
absolutely necessary to abide by them and take them into consideration while
designing and constructing a ship.
It is hoped that the previous paragraphs will
provide the readers with a general overview of naval architecture as a
disciplined and demanding engineering field.
References
Introduction to Naval architecture : E.C
Tupper.(2001)
Basic ship theory : Rawson, K. J and Tuppen (1994)
interesting blog. It would be great if you can provide more details about it. Thanks you.
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