Vessel Modifications
Vessels change a lot during their life. You need an engineer to provide some constructive guidance on all that change. This includes a wide range of projects, from service life extension, to installing new cranes, to owners representative work for larger projects. DMS provides a host of potential solutions.
Get Your FREE Technical Briefing
Learn about the technical risks before you commit to a project.
Systems Integration Support
Vessels change a lot during their life. During refits, they become swirls of activity. When major changes are involved, you need an engineer to provide some constructive guidance on all that change. DMS can help with vendor selection, evaluation of new machinery, and systems integration.
- Foundation designs
- Weight impact analysis
- Vendor comparison
- Trim and stability update
- Stability test
Major Vessel Modifications
Often, it makes more sense to modify an existing vessel rather than build a completely new one. Re-purpose your vessel with a new mission and lease on life. DMS can assist with this.
- Structural drawings
- Class society calculations
- Vessel powering analysis
- Construction specification
- Fatigue analysis
Go From This:
Boat Wreck
(Not DMS Design)
To This:
(Well, not completely. We can’t work miracles.)
Harbor Tug
(Not DMS Design)
New Vessel Design
Although DMS focuses on existing vessels, I can conduct the early stages of a new vessel design: the mission study and concept design. At these early stages, you need a dynamic communication with your naval architect, and a good working relationship. The early stages of a new vessel design involves extensive collaboration and interaction with the engineering constraints. Large teams just slow down the process, but a single naval architect can turn it into fun.
Vessel Mission Studies
Before you can design the ship, you need to design the mission. A mission study progresses from a vague goal to a set of concrete objectives and basic parameters for a new concept design.
Concept Design and Optimization
Our concept design tool allows us to start with best practices, but then automatically explore variations from that starting point. Let DMS explore the horizon and find your next ship concept. After settling on basic ship parameters, our concept design work can include a full set of deliverables:
- General arrangement and profile drawing
- 3D model
- Lines plan
- Basic structural scantlings (midship section)
- Parametric weight estimate
- Preliminary stability analysis
- Powering estimate
- Construction cost estimate
- More details as requested. . .
Ballast Water Management
Do you need a ballast water management (BWM) system? The IMO Ballast Water Management convention entered into force on 8 September, 2017. But to make matters more confusing, all US vessels are also subject to the USCG ballast water rules, which are different.
There are several different technologies for ballast water treatment. Good operation depends on selecting the right system for your application. If you select the wrong system, the costs can compound:
Want to Learn More
Ready to discuss your next project. DMS is ready to join your team.
Relevant Ship Science Articles
Free Surface Moment
Without proper management, the shifting liquid in a ship’s tanks can create a lethal scenario. Free surface moment (FSM) is one of the most frequently misunderstood elements in ship operation. The deck officer that values their life wants to understand free surface moment. The physics behind it, and how it applies to ship operating limits.
Composite Materials
Theoretically, composites promise strength several thousand times greater than steel. So why don’t we have composite materials everywhere? The practical design of composites severly limits their capabilities. Once you understand the practical limits, it provides a useful design guide for how to apply composites and maximize their advantages.
Practical Stability Test: Naval Architect’s Guide
Every naval architect learns the theory of how to perform a stability test. But a well executed stability test employs very little theory, and a great deal of practical experience. This guide imparts some of that hard earned experience to make your next stability test go well.
Stability Test Theory
What science could possibly link moving a few weights on deck with calculating the light ship weight? Armed with knowledge, we carefully exploit physics to achieve high quality science without the fancy equipment. Today I explain some of the theory behind the stability test.
Practical Stability Test: Chief Engineer’s Guide
A stability test requires extensive work to prepare the vessel. Where do you go to find that work list? This guide should give you some advanced warning of what to expect. It covers all the practical matters for a Chief Engineer to prepare for their next stability test.