Pivot Points
Group lead:Dr Seong-gi Seo
The project involves the calculation of the pivot point location to enhance ship manoeuvring performance in confined areas.
Project dates: 1 August 2010 – 31 July 2011
Funded by Southampton Solent University.
The dynamic location of the pivot point of a ship is probably the most critical aspect of ship handling at slow
Staff involved:
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Dr Seong-gi Seo
Kwang-Ki Seo
Korea Aerospace Industries
External links:
www.goingtomeet.com
Contact us:
Dr S Seo
Senior Lecturer
School of Professional Studies
Warsash Maritime Academy
Newtown Road
Warsash
SO31 9ZL
Email: seong-gi.seo@solent.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)14 8955 6287
speed.
Ship handling is important when ships are in close proximity or in port. In these areas ships move slowly and frequently change direction, and the direction and strength of current and wind relative to the ship also changes frequently.
The ship's pivot point moves in response to the change of the hydrodynamic environment below the free surface and the aerodynamic environment above the free surface.
Currently, the pivot point is taken as a fixed point from the bow a quarter of the ship lengths. This imprecision is of little consequence when a ship is moving at speed in the open sea but could have serious consequences in a confined space. Until now, there has been no means of accurately pinpointing the pivot point during such manoeuvres, due to the number of factors involved and the lack of effective technical means of determining their relative and combined impacts.
The principal investigator's combination of high-level mathematical and computing skills and knowledge of hydrodynamics and naval architecture, coupled with the ability to assemble and programme a sufficiently powerful parallel processing computer system will enable the location of pivot point to be calculated mathematically, using computers. The results will be verified by physical experiments using the Manned Model Ship Handling Centre and by programmed experiments using Warsash Maritime Academy's simulators.
Not only will the outcomes of the project constitute a major contribution to theoretical research in this field, but the resulting software produced will be incorporated into WMA's shiphandling models and simulators, putting the Academy's training facilities ahead of our competitors. A commercial prototype can be developed for the shipping industry.
Recent outputs/publications
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“Rethinking the Pivot Point”, Seaways (The International Journal of The Nautical Institute), August 2011, PP7-10
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“The Use of Pivot Point in Ship Handling for Safer and More Accurate Ship Manoeuvring”, Proceedings of IMLA 19, September 2011