Projects and Choices…

No Blogging for the past month due to our Final year projects going on. My project is to design a catamaran. Right now, we’ve fixed our main dimensions and now we’re on to the lines plan stage.

Those of my readers (all zero of them) who are alert may have noticed that in the last sentence, I’ve unconsciously moved from My to We. The reason is that although an individual project, I’m doing it with the help of two of my Pals, Midshipmen RVSS and Danio, both of whom owe me a monthly treat (they being naval officers and getting paid every month).

I’ve to tell you, these guy are awesome. I’ve to confess that the reason that I’ve progressed satisfactorily to the current stage, is their help. The key word in that line is ‘SATISFACTORILY’. Also, their internet bandwidth is pure awesomeness!

Anyway, we’ve now reached a stage where we have to select a hull shape for our vessel. I’ll try to explain what I mean by our terms, for you land lubbers(1). Basically there are two main categories of ships(2): those with the usual round bottomed(3) hull(4) and those with straight lined(5) hulls. Since ours is a high speed vessel (6), it is preferred for us to use the second type (but the other one is perfectly acceptable also). This is something that is not taught in our classes (we deal only with displacement hulls) and no seniors have done it in their projects to date. But the problem is that calculations(7) for this type of ships are virtually unknown to us and is expected to be difficult., what with their trims(8) and dynamic lift(9) characteristics.

So, now we can either go with the simpler, already-done-before method or take the unbeaten path(10). My heart says go for the new design while my brain says, “dude, r you outta ur mind?”(11)  I know that Shiv Kera(12) has said success comes not to those who do different things but to those who do  things differently. Wait… What? What does that even mean in this context? Does that mean that doing that new design will not necessarily guarantee me success, but rather using a new method for calculation will? I’m confused…

 

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1. Unworthy land based low lives.
2. Those floating thingies. Does what a camel does in a desert and hence the old saying: Ships are the camels of the sea.
3. Displacement Hulls: Here buoyancy effect is predominant effect and hence wetted surface area is generally more.
4. The skin of the ship. It is found usually towards the bottom of the vessel (not applicable in case overturned vessels; in that case, hulls are found towards the top).
5. Planing hulls operate in higher Froude's number range and have dynamic lift as the predominant effect. Trim is very high.
6. We value quality over quantity and thus speeds of 60km/hr are considered blindingly fast in our universe. We scoff on those aeroplanes with their 1000km/hr speeds; they don’t enjoy life like we do.
7. Complex stuff involving numbers, primarily causing their transmogrification into other numbers by way of magic, usually of the black variety (the magic, not the numbers)
8. Also known as the “seesaw effect” by Danio. It means your ship is tilted lengthwise. Usually it’s because they’re eagerly enjoying life (see point 6)
9. Dynamic lifts are generated in planing hulls due to the aerofoil effect. This is common in vessels with hydrofoils but the shape of planing vessels also help in this. It is dynamic as the effect varies non linearly with velocity. In knots.
10. Beat, v. To subject to repeated beatings or physical abuse; batter. So it means we’re taking a path that is not subject to domestic violence. This is a better choice morally also.
11. Yeah my Brain is pretty busy most of the time thinking about food and sleep that it doesn’t have time to waste on me, saying words like ‘are’ or ‘your’.
12. Some dude.