Pod propulsion within wide seakeeping operational profiles

Operating the world's largest double-ended ferry on an open sea route presents formidable challenges from both seakeeping and powering perspectives.
Seakeeping considerations are paramount to protect the equipment from slamming damage, while powering requirements demand minimising fuel consumption and emissions. It is essential to navigate the intricate dynamics of pod-pod and pod-hull interactions, avoiding any detrimental effects, irrespective of water depth—be it deep or shallow.
Right from the initial design stage, MARIN closely collaborated with GSI and OSK to identify an optimal hull form that would ensure low resistance and high propulsion efficiency, while also safeguarding the hull against slamming at the bow and stern. Extensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations and line optimisations were carried out.