COMPUTER-AIDED SHIP DESIGN PROCESS

The increased use of Computer—Aided Design tools in the area of Naval ship design has generated a need for ship design engineers who air<3 thoroughly familiar with the capabilities, limitations and operation of these tools. As a major source of these design engineers, the need for such a Computer—Ai ded Design (CAD) facility at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is established. The current Naval ship design process is discussed and the place of the CAD system is established within this process. Current CAD facilities and capabilities of the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sire investigated and system limitations Sire discussed-Inherent features required of a system which can overcome these limitations whilr? providing an educatio.Tal tool are developed. A prototype CAD-system possessing many of these features is developed with guidance provided for future enhancement of this system