An Optimization Method for Determining Principal Dimensions of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle at the Initial Design Stage

The initial design process of a naval ship involves transforming abstract operational concepts into more concrete requirements. During this phase, various design alternatives are compared to identify the best solution. Traditional approaches often rely heavily on the designer’s experience for estimating the principal dimensions of the naval ship, which can result in lower accuracy and longer design times. To overcome these challenges, an optimization method was introduced to determine the principal dimensions of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) at the initial design stage. This involved formulating an optimization problem aimed at minimizing the light- weight, of the USV while adhering to constraints related to compartment arrangement, stability, and maneuverability. A genetic algorithm was used to find the optimal solution. The proposed method was then applied to a USV example, and its principal dimensions were derived. When compared to an actual USV, the results confirmed that this method is effective in determining the principal dimensions during the initial design phase.