By extending the use of the 3D models for ship design and stability data calculations to the operational stage, NAPA is supporting Naval Groups’ Weight-Stability Service team ensure calculations and data remain consistent; from the design ‘blueprint’ to real-world operations onboard the vessel.

Testimonials from: Gaëlle, William and Vincent — Naval Engineers at Naval Group.

Naval vessels are as complex to operate as they are to design. As part one of this two-part blog detailed, they face a wide range of operating scenarios, all of which impact their stability, survivability and recoverability. Being able to prepare for and respond quickly to these rapidly evolving risks, from flooding to grounding, is crucial and relies on the right data and digital tools.

NAPA has been working with France headquartered Naval Group and its Weight-Stability Service team to ensure that naval vessels can deliver on their missions, and that onboard officers have the right data to make informed decisions, prepare countermeasures and enhance preparedness.

Using a 3D model to bridge design with operational data

Searching for solutions to naval vessels’ complex operational challenges and requirements starts with leveraging solutions already at our disposal- the 3D model used to design the vessel. The interoperability of the 3D model allows design insights to be extended to the vessel’s operational stage and means that the same stability modelling parameters used during the ship’s stability analysis phase are also applied in actual operations, providing a reliable framework for calculating the optimal stability and ensuring the highest level of accuracy. This helps shoreside design teams and onboard officers truly understand a vessel’s behavior and stability in actual conditions, for better informed decisions about loading, trimming, and balancing.

The integration of the 3D model used during the ship design process with onboard stability systems’ data modelling is a powerful combination.

It enables officers on the ship, ship designers, classification societies, external vendors and the end user, to work together effectively, bolstering safety and operational confidence, all while protecting customer data, emphasizes Vincent, Naval Engineer, Naval Group.

Using the same data model onboard for operational stability streamlines design processes for newbuilds and retrofits, creating a continuous feedback loop. The onboard model can be seamlessly updated alongside the design model to ensure that data on the vessel is up to date with the latest stability information.

Looking at the bigger picture, by providing accurate stability data and training officers on how to interpret it, Naval Group fosters trust and collaboration. It is also an opportunity to gain feedback from onboard operations to inform ongoing improvements, ensuring that NAPA’s tools remain aligned with user needs and that information is maintained in a secure, closed ecosystem.

Redefining naval ship stability for onboard officers with customization, accuracy and ease of use in mind

For officers at sea, NAPA Stability presents an easy-to-use solution that simplifies the complex modelling and calculations done by naval architects to set the stability criteria when designing the vessels.

As described by Gaëlle, Naval Engineer, Naval Group, “NAPA Stability is designed to speak the same language as officers onboard with usability in mind; you don’t have to be a technical expert to manage the vessel’s stability. It is also a leap forward from old-school approaches using various Excel files or out of date calculations of stability and loading conditions.”

With some initial basic training, NAPA Stability’s visual interface, featuring intuitive green-yellow-red indicators and KGmax curves, simplifies complex stability assessments, visually reports intact and damage stability for the loading condition defined in real time, and calculates (daily) stability and loading for all types of operational modes, including icing, oil-recovery and more. The real gamechanger with NAPA Stability is that any changes to the ship’s loading or tank fillings, for example, are reflected automatically across all results.

This includes precise calculations on wind moment assessments or stability criteria specific to class and navy rules or support with ship balancing with a direct interface with tank levels, for example. It also allows officers to define restrictive limits for operations, like the maximum draft and trim, as well as simulate loading and stability checks before performing them in real life. This “customization is key,” Gaëlle highlights, and allows the officers onboard to understand ship behavior better and spot potential issues.

The software’s flexibility and capabilities are particularly valuable for future operations, by allowing officers to practice damage scenarios and enhance emergency responsiveness, as well as planning dry docking, where precise stability adjustments and alignment between design calculations and operational needs are critical.

Simplifying survivability management and maintaining mission capability in emergencies

Unlike commercial maritime, the primary goal for naval vessels is to maintain mission capabilities. Key to this is robust survivability and emergency response measures. NAPA Stability can support this decision-making by allowing for simultaneous analysis of multiple potential risks and conditions, such as the easy study of countermeasures in case of flooding and survivability preparedness.

NAPA’s decision support system offers ‘kill cards’ that provide concrete actions to be taken by the crew in the affected section of the vessel, in case of flooding onboard. These kill cards are not static- they can be tailored by the officers onboard to reflect specific onboard procedures or vessel conditions.

NAPA Stability can also help prevent grounding scenarios by calculating grounding forces to determine how the vessel could be refloated, and use operational patterns to pre-calculate a ship’s stability risks for future voyages and operations.

A dedicated tool for emergency preparedness

Considering navy vessels are under constant threat, real-time decision support is critical. While external threats can’t always be controlled, preparedness for flooding scenarios is something that can be managed and is where advanced, and easy-to-use flooding emergency and decision support systems are key.

Flooding is a complex phenomenon and there are different scenarios, from simultaneous progressive flooding to collapsing of non-watertight boundaries. Officers onboard must be prepared and know how to respond as well as the extent of damage to the vessel in case of flooding. NAPA Emergency Computer was developed to support this response and provide a rapid survivability assessment with continuous time domain progressive flooding predictions. Underpinned by advanced algorithms, NAPA Emergency Computer is the only solution that can provide a timeline of flooding events, accounting for the vessel’s conditions, and can help inform onboard officers with the information they need to respond effectively to emergencies. 

These advanced capabilities are a step change for naval vessels where most still rely on static, pre-calculated emergency booklets; digital tools like NAPA Emergency Computer are, therefore, a leap forward for survivability and recoverability management.

Looking ahead

Using the same 3D models of a vessel from ship design to the operational stage ensures data consistency, which is crucial not only for accuracy of data modeling for daily stability management for naval operations, but also for decisions around dry docking, vessel retrofits and more.

It’s this alignment between design calculations and operational needs, without the need for any conversions, that’s a game changer for more efficient, collaborative and innovative processes.

It’s for these advantages that Naval Group will continue the use of NAPA, with ship operations solutions like NAPA Stability, to allow its teams to collaborate, optimize and evolve to meet changing regulations, class rules and client demands.

The growing use of NAPA highlights the potential for further integration across disciplines and, by leveraging the power of a single source of truth, NAPA empowers Naval Group to improve the efficiency of their design and operational processes, innovate and deliver safe and cutting-edge naval vessels. For Naval Group, this translates to meeting the rigorous demands of naval defense and navies worldwide.

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