Case WB-Sails & Deltamarin: Using HPC and computational fluid dynamics in ship design

Case WB-Sails & Deltamarin: Using HPC and computational fluid dynamics in ship design

Ship-building sector companies use HPC, computational fluid dynamics and data visualisation open-mindedly to support their production planning.

WB-Sails: Olympic-level sails

WB-Sails, a company based in Helsinki, has been designing sails for competitive sailors for years. As an example of the results, a silver medal in Rio Olympics was won with WB-sails.

WB-Sails has been running trials aiming for sail optimisation on CSC's Taito supercluster.

CEO Mikko Brummer describes the company's cooperation with CSC:

"CSC experts provided us with valuable support for the parallel running of Xflow software and visualisation. We are working together to set up a software consortium and a software training workshop in early 2017. This way, we could get a slightly better price for the software."

Deltamarin: Hull shape optimisation


Deltamarin uses CSC's supercomputers for demanding computational fluid dynamics applications to optimise the ship's hull for the correct operating conditions. CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) makes it possible to compare the energy-efficiency of different hull shapes.

Traditionally, a ship's required power input is assessed through model tests carried out in dedicated facilities.

Designer Tero Silanterä explains:

"The model tests usually take us a few months anyway, but with supercomputers, we can run fast and accurate simulations. We are able to do cumbersome and complex calculations and study the impacts of small details on the end result. Additionally, we get the results in a few days. We can also monitor the progress and results of the computations in a graphic interface. I would recommend the wider use of high-power computing to anyone who works with challenging CFD calculations."

Lars-Johan Rehn, CIO of Deltamarin, says:

"We are continuously developing our methods and strive to make use of the latest information technology in order to offer our customers the best solutions.


Further information:

Dan Still, Project Manager, CSC

Tel. +358 50 381 9037