SSPA leads the ITTC Specialist Committee on Combined CFD/EFD Methods. The purpose of the committee is to initiate and support the process of introducing combined CFD/EFD methods in ITTC’s procedures. By using the best combination, rather than viewing them as competing methods, we can deliver even better predictions. To facilitate the introduction in our community, the Committee has identified several research areas which need to be addressed.

To assess how ship domains vary under different geographical settings and in different types of meetings, SSPA performed a case study. Our researchers studied over 600,000 ship encounters at 36 locations around the Swedish coast. The conclusion is that the ship domain has the shape of an ellipse with half axes radii of 0.9 and 0.45 nautical miles in open waters. In contrast to previous research, it has also been discovered that the ship domain is unrelated to the length of the ship.

During the last few years, companies exporting and importing goods have experienced severe difficulties with goods going through the container terminal at the port of Gothenburg. As a consequence, goods have been delayed and rerouted. As part of a research project, SSPA researchers have mapped the logistical consequences for various actors in the supply chain as well as what they have done to mitigate these effects.

We have completed a research project with the aim to gain increased knowledge of the effect a rough surface has on skin friction. This project has also resulted in an interactive tool that can be used to estimate fuel consumption without requiring background knowledge in hydrodynamics. This tool will hopefully contribute to better surface treatment of vessels, that in the end can reduce costs and emission of greenhouse gases.

The latest issue of our company magazine is published. Read about; Skin Friction database, Route optimisation based on AIS tracks, Defining normal ship behaviour and safety distance, Logistical consequences of container port conflict, Implementing S1000D for military assault and support crafts, Thorough model testing required to make cruising in tough environments sustainable, The importance of high-quality data.

Knowledge-based organisations like SSPA constantly have to adapt to a changing world. At SSPA, all specialist engineers can be involved in research and development (R&D) in addition to the commercial work. This facilitates a two-way knowledge flow between research and business. The decentralised R&D-organisation does, however, require very clear management with defined goals, roadmaps and prioritisation. Our strategic research plans help us to set the direction and to break down the challenges into manageable goals.

Recently, the STM Validation Final conference was held at the headquarter of IMO in London. We discussed how Sea Traffic Management affects safety, efficiency and the environment as well as how the industry is looking at digitization. SSPA’s experts was represented and took part in the demonstrations of the solutions in use and the early results of Route optimisation and Normal behaviour of ships.

The STM Validation Project will demonstrate the STM concept in large-scale test beds in both the Nordic and Mediterranean Seas, encompassing around 300 ships, 13 ports and 5 shore based service centres as well as using the European Maritime Simulator Network – EMSN. The key strategic enablers of STM will be tested and validated. The project runs from 2015 until June 2019.