Prerequisites
This module is normally only taken by students enrolled on the MSc Marine Engineering. However, students with a suitable marine engineering background will be considered for CPD at the MSc Marine Engineering Programme Director’s discretion.
Module Overview
This module comprises an interdisciplinary Group Design Project supported by a series of lectures/seminars on Project Management, Ship Design, and Marine Engineering. The Design Project is undertaken in small groups of students combining students from the MSc Marine Engineering (MECH0084) and students from the MSc Naval Architecture (MECH0069).
Students design ships from a customer’s outline requirements; the ships range from frigates and escort carriers to diving support vessels and cruise ships. Advanced marine vehicles are designed as well as monohulls. The exercise is supervised by the Professor of Naval Architecture and other staff members with particular experience of ship design practice. The design work includes use of a suite of preliminary design computer programs together with a computer aided design systems for ships (PARAMARINE) for the more detailed design work. Marine Engineering students are expected to concentrate on specifying the propulsive machinery and all auxiliary equipment.
Students are issued with outline requirements for the Ship Design Exercise during January. This enables them to start the ship design whilst finishing the formal lecture modules and preparing for their written exams. The students start work full time on their ship design once their written exams are finished towards the end of March. The design exercise then runs until the middle of June.
Design lectures, which support the Ship Design Exercise, are given from the start of the MSc programme in October and run right through to the completion of the exercise in June. These supporting lectures include those from visiting lecturers in the ship design community, as well as attendance at IMarEST Technical Meetings and Symposia.
Method of Instruction
This module is taught through introductory lectures followed by regular design reviews.
Guidance is provided by academic staff but it is expected that the work and effort is driven and managed by the student group.
Assessment
The ship design exercise is assessed both through meeting specific design tasks and by regular reviews via design presentations to the module staff.
Final assessment of the designs is by a written report and formal presentation to external examiners who are eminent in the field of ship design.
For more information about assessment please contact mecheng.pg-queries@ucl.ac.uk.