Optimisation of the Main Hull Subdivision and Layout Based on Topology-Geometry Co-Characterisation

Abstract The subdivision and layout of a ship’s main hull is a critical aspect of ship design as it directly determines the layout of the ship’s space. To enhance design efficiency and quality, an intelligent optimization method for main hull subdivision is proposed. This method aims to reduce the traditional manual subdivision design process, which heavily relies on mother ship data, and address issues such as long design cycles and high costs. The text describes the sorting and analysis of the mutual influence relationship between ship compartments and equipment. A topological characterization model of the influence relationship and an automatic identification method are proposed. The topological objective function of favourable influences between compartments and equipment is constructed, and the geometrical constraint model is proposed based on the design specifications and design experience. The Diffusion Algorithm Based on P Systems (DAPS) is then employed to achieve the optimization solution, resulting in a collection of intelligent optimization methods for main hull compartmentalization. The test for optimizing the main hull subdivision design was conducted on a scientific research vessel. The iteration curve for the optimization objective showed good convergence, and the optimization had a positive impact on the parent ship subdivision scheme. The test results demonstrate the method’s rationality.