Design of High Speed Craft The

human factor
Dominic A. Hudson
School of Engineering Sciences, Ship Science, University of
Southampton, Southampton, UK.

17th Annual Engineering Conference, Malta

17th April 2008

High Speed Craft Applications

Planing craft (up to ~80 kts) now often RIBs
Life-saving (e.g. RNLI in UK)
Leisure
Excursions, dive boats
Personal
Racing powerboats
Military and para-military
Offshore industry variety of roles
2

What is the Problem?

What is the Problem?

10

Repeated shock
impacts lead to:

Vertical accleration at bow

Vertical acceleration at CG
8

Lower back damage

Depends on:
Waves
Hullform

Acceletation (g)

Knee injuries

6
slam impact

slam at bow,
no slam at CG

no slam
4

Boat speed
-2
100

102

104

106

108
Time (s)

110

112

114

116

20 Kts
Sea-state 3

What is the Problem?

Crew effectiveness
reduced:
Physical performance

Constant Speed Shuttle Run Test

Pre

1063.4

Cognitive ability

Factors:
Day/night

636.9

Post

Temperature
Sound
Smell
Everyone is different!

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Distance run (m)

12 subjects

8.5m RIB, 40 kts, 1hr 40 min

Sea-state 0-1

Solutions?

Currently design boats for:

Speed, strength, range, weight, cost, etc.
Consider people later
EU Physical Agents Directive enforced 2010

Can we design for people from the start?

Or mitigate problems by
Structural design?
Seat design?
6

Research Effort
~1 million EPSRC grant
Univ. of Southampton SES (Ship design)
Prof. R. Shenoi, Prof. J. Xing, Dr. D. Hudson, Dr. S. Turnock, Dr.
D. Taunton, Dr. J. Blake, S. Lewis, T. Coe.

Univ. of Southampton ISVR (Signal Processing)

Prof. R. Allen, Dr. D. Allen

Univ. of Chichester (Sports Science)

Dr. R. Dyson, Prof. T. McMorris, Dr. T. Dobbins, S. Myers

Additional funding:
Royal Academy of Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences
7

Full-scale Tests
Measurement techniques
Quantify/characterise
Motions
Vibration dose values
Physiological data

Person in real situation

Very difficult

Full-Scale Results
Top 3 Acceleration Events at the CG
8

8
6

Acceleration (g)

6
4

4
3
2

-1

-4
67.5

68

Time (s)

68.5

69

109.5

110

110.5

111

111.5

Time (s)
Top 3 Acceleration Events at the Bow

-2

-2

-2

(g)

67

x direction
y direction
z direction

-3
131.5

132

132.5

Time (s)

133

133.5

7
6

5
4

Results VDV action levels

~10 mins

Results Spinal health risk (ISO 2631-5)

Full-scale Results
Heart rate and Oxygen consumption
45%
40%

60%

35%
50%
30%
40%

25%

30%

20%

P e rc e n ta g e 2m
V Oa x

P e rc e n ta g e m a x im a l H e a rt ra te

70%

15%
20%
10%
10%

heart rate

VO2

5%

0%

0%
1

11

21

31

41

51
61
Time (minutes)

71

81

91

101

111

12

Numerical Modelling

2D strip theory (after Zarnick)

Wedge-impact model

Non-linear, time domain

Regular or irregular waves

Well-known conventional hulls

Work on
Validation
Front-end GUI

Limits
hull form (RIB, VSV)?
speed?

13

Model Tests

Validate numerical code

2 models tested
Wave-piercing RIB Kali
RNLI Atlantic 21 RIB

Limitations
Only head seas
V. short run time (~3 sec)

14

Results - comparison
Numerical

6
4
2
0
-2

39

40

41

A cceleration (g)

42

43

44

45

Model
CG
Bow

4
2
0
-2
47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

37

38

39

40

Full Scale

6
4
2
0
-2
33

34

35

36

Time(s)

15

Current Work
Human spine model

Flow simulation
+ Design optimisation, ongoing model, full-scale testing

See the Posters!

17

Future Aims
Design boat to comply with EU directive
Test boat = 21 mins
best planing hull = ~1 hour
Target = 8 hours
Co-operate with designers, builders, operators, MCA
Understand human boat interface
Trusted design and simulation tools
Tailor solutions to applications

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