Purton, IM; (2016) Concept Exploration for a Novel Submarine Concept Using Innovative Computer-Based Research Approaches and Tools. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The concept of an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) “Mothership” submarine (designated Submersible Ship Host (Nuclear), SSH(N)) has already been explored at UCL using the Design Building Block approach by Pawling and Andrews (2011). This thesis builds upon that study, further investigating the design of a large mother-ship submarine. The incorporation of a novel technology such as UUVs into submarines suggests that the traditional evolutionary approach to concept exploration for new submarine designs is questionable. A novel approach to exploring, within the design solution space, novel SSH(N) concepts has been investigated in this thesis. The significance of incorporating UUVs into submarine design has been explored by conducting an Operational Analysis (OA) of the mix of UUVs required supporting a range of scenarios. This OA gave a coherent justification for a mixed and significant total displacement of UUVs as the main payload for SSH(N)s. A MATLAB computer program, Submarine Preliminary Exploration of Requirements by Blocks (SUPERB), has been produced to generate and assess submarine concept designs. SUPERB also uses a novel generic arrangement approach called, “Compartment X-Listing”, which systematically allocates compartments within the pressure hull and then compares individual concept-level submarine designs to typical existing arrangements. Validation of SUPERB and Compartment X-Listing is presented and discussed using two existing submarine designs and two radical concept design proposals. A novel approach of modifying a nominal Pareto Front representation for complex novel designs called the Notional Pareto Front (NPF) has been used with SUPERB to generate designs and is considered to be an innovation in marine design practice. The NPF approach seeks to bound the solution space and focus concept exploration on a smaller region. This is seen to have the potential to inform an extensive early stage exploration of the design solution space, as a research approach for future concept level investigations, such as for SSH(N)s. Recommendations are made as to how this design approach may be taken forward.

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