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A Quick and Practical Approach for Concept-design of Submerged Thin-walled Stiffened Cylinders

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Abstract

Goal based and limit state design is nowadays a well-established approach in many engineering fields. Ship construction rules started introducing such concepts since early 2000. However, classification societies’ rules do not provide hints on how to verify limit states and to determine the structural layout of submerged thin-walled stiffened cylinders, whose most prominent examples are submarines. Rather, they generally offer guidance and prescriptive formulations to assess shell plating and stiffening members. Such marine structures are studied, designed and built up to carry payloads below the sea surface. In the concept-design stage, the maximum operating depth is the governing hull scantling parameter. Main dimensions are determined based on the analysis of operational requirements. This study proposes a practical concept-design approach for conceptual submarine design, aimed at obtaining hull structures that maximize the payload capacity in terms of available internal volume by suitably adjusting structural layout and stiffening members’ scantling, duly accounting for robustness and construction constraints as well as practical fabrication issues. The proposed scantling process highlights that there is no need of complex algorithms if sound engineering judgment is applied in setting down rationally the hull scantling problem. A systematic approach based on a computer-coded procedure developed on purpose was effectively implemented and satisfactorily applied in design practice.

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Abbreviations

A eff :

transversal area of frame [mm2]

b :

thickness of web’s frame plus welds [mm], Figure 3

D :

cylinder hull diameter [mm]

E :

Young’s modulus [MPa]

H :

operating depth, maximum depth at which the submarine is assumed to dive [m]

H des :

design depth, at which yielding limit state is not satisfied in one point of the structure [m]

h :

thickness of shell plating [mm], Figure 3

H w :

height of web of frame [mm], Figure 3

L :

Lf—b [mm]

L b :

distance between bulkheads [mm]

L e :

effective breadth of plating for global buckling check [mm]

L f :

axial length of the shell plating not supported by frames, i.e. frame spacing [mm]

p :

operating pressure, corresponding to operating depth [MPa]

R :

average radius of the cylinder [mm]

t f :

thickness of flange of the frame [mm], Figure 3

t w :

thickness of web of the frame [mm], Figure 3

w f :

width of flange of the frame [mm], Figure 3

v :

lateral contraction coefficient (Poisson’s ratio)

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Funding

Supported by the Italian Ministry of Defense-Segredifesa, in collaboration with Fincantieri under Grant of the ASAMS (Aspetti specialistici e approccio metodologico per progettazione di sottomarini di ultima generazione) project (2019-2022).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polytechnic School, DITEN, University of Genova, via Montallegro, I-16145, Genova, Italy

    Tatiana Pais, Marco Gaiotti & Cesare Mario Rizzo

Authors
  1. Tatiana Pais
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  2. Marco Gaiotti
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  3. Cesare Mario Rizzo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cesare Mario Rizzo.

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Article Highlights

• Scantling limit states of submarines are identified and comprehensively discussed.

• Structural layout is investigated and a design tool to assess and to compare different configurations developed.

• Constraints to exclude unfeasible configuration were introduced, based on actual safety and construction limits.

• A design strategy for rational parametric design of submarine hulls is proposed.

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Pais, T., Gaiotti, M. & Rizzo, C.M. A Quick and Practical Approach for Concept-design of Submerged Thin-walled Stiffened Cylinders. J. Marine. Sci. Appl. 21, 138–154 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11804-022-00280-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11804-022-00280-z

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