On the problem of the machinery choice and hull weight assessment for the design of high-speed vessels

In the last decades an increase of interest of high-speed ferries has been registered and, as a consequence, new problems have arisen as regards the request of data and adequate procedures for conceptual and preliminary design analysis. In particular, the request of increasing speed and large vessels is a continual challenge to designers to choose propulsions systems, to estimate the principal components of propulsion machinery and hull weights. At the same time, there is a lack of published systematic data and techniques suitable for both, conceptual and preliminary analysis. Firstly, a large of database has been presented that considers new designs and high speed ferries in the world; the regression analysis of which permits rapidly to estimate the main parameters (Displacement, Length, Breadth etc etc). Successively, a new parametric procedure has been developed to estimate hull weight of both monohull and catamaran fast ferries, including steel and/or aluminum materials. The procedure has been consequently calibrated in order to evaluate reliable parameters which permitting the hull weight estimation. Finally a database for the machinery choice is presented, which includes medium and high-speed diesels and gas turbines, the regression of which has been particularly discussed