Handling Complexity Aspects in Conceptual Ship Design

In this paper we present strategies to handle complexity during the conceptual phase of ship design. We introduce the issue by summarizing key ship design advancements during the last six decades, showing the growth in information, which leads to a more complex system. A definition of complexity based on the amount of information necessary to define the system is then discussed, placing the ship as a complex system. A general approach to handle complexity is presented, based on decomposition and encapsulation. Five main aspects of complexity are presented (structural, behavioral, contextual, temporal and perceptual), linking challenges of the conceptual phase to each of the aspects. As case example, techniques to handle the five aspects of an offshore support vessel design are briefly presented. The last section discusses the benefits of the five aspects classification and proposes possible uses and extensions.