autonomous shipping to a new level, and finding a way to clean up
marine pollution,” says Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen.
The award in the category ‘Safer’ and 1,000 Euros went to Matilde
Andersen from Copenhagen. She graduated from the Danish
Technical University in 2017 and has since joined Maersk Line as a
vessel-performance analyst. Andersen won the award for her master’s
thesis ‘Implementation of Generalized Modes in a 3D Finite Difference
Sea-keeping Model’, which describes an extension of rigid-body
seakeeping software to include vibration modes for hydro-elastic
analyses of the fatigue strength of very large container ships. With
ever larger ships (especially container ships), hull structures become
so flexible that there may be resonance between ship hull vibrations
and natural seaway. From outlining the theoretical approach to the
validation of numerical simulations against model test results and
stating clear conclusions, this master’s thesis is a prime example of
solid engineering work at a very high level.
Heinrich Grümmer’s paper ‘Design and Optimization of a Hubless
Rim-Driven Thruster for an Autonomous Surface Vehicle using RANSE
Simulations’ won the award in the category ‘Smarter’ and 1,000
Euros. Grümmer received his master’s degree from the TU Berlin
in 2017. After completing his studies, he joined Potsdam-based
software supplier Friendship Systems. His thesis describes a specific
task for his aXatlantic project aiming at setting the world record for
the first autonomous, solar-powered and unmanned crossing of
an ocean. His paper focuses on accurate performance prediction,
based on CFD (computational fluid dynamics), while observing the
particular demands on the propulsion system for an autonomous
surface vessel. The hull form was optimized using a state-of-the-
art engineering framework for maximum stability, providing the
vessel with the ability to self-right. The work intelligently combines a
multitude of approaches and software to create a concrete product
using crowd funding.
The award in the category ‘Greener’ and 1,000 Euros went to
Susanna Valenti, a former navy cadet who recently graduated from
the University of Genoa, for her thesis ‘A Fleet of Sea-Cleaning
Autonomous Units, Managed by a Waste-Recovery Island’. Her
work describes both the procedures and tools used and the results
obtained through prototyping some of the main operations
conducted by a cleaning system, for which the feasibility had been
previously determined. Her system consists of a fleet of autonomous
sea-cleaning units managed by a waste-recovery island. A multitude
of small ‘foldable’, autonomous, versatile catamarans will allow
the water’s surface to be cleaned of spilled oil, litter and micro
plastics. The jury particularly appreciated the novelty of the idea
and the good engineering judgements in elaborating the concept,
combining “smarter” and “greener” as core values of DNV GL.
The submissions for next year’s DNV GL Award for Young
Professionals can be submitted from 1 January to 31 March 2018.
The range of topics includes shipbuilding and design as well as
vessel operation and marine technology. The theme is ‘Safer, Smarter,
Greener’. Entries will be judged by their quality, complexity and
impact on society. All papers must be written in English and must not
be older than three years. The jury will announce the winners in May
2018. Reference: dnvgl.com
For more information, please visit:
DNV GL Award for Young Professionals webpage
Entries shall be submitted to:
[email protected]
49