Since the development of LOCOPIAS it is up to the user to achieve an optimal result. However, over the last few years we have seen more and more requests from the industry as to whether the computer can calculate this for them. With this in mind we have developed the ‘ballast advice’ module. Despite its name the framework is actually suitable for all kinds of optimization issues with fluids in tanks.

In this ballast advice process two concepts play a role:

• Boundary conditions which are the loading parameters to be achieved, or whose limits are indicated. Such as minimum draft, maximum heel etc.
• In general, an abundance of loadings will exist for which the conditions can be fulfilled, but only one of them is optimal. This is specified by the optimization target, e.g.  the goal ‘minimum amount of pumped ballast water’ (which is actually an interpretation of the underlying goal ‘to achieve the desired loading in the shortest possible time’).

The advice process searches the ballast quantity that fulfils the boundary conditions, and which is optimal from the perspective of the optimization target. The operation is located in two places: the settings for a specific ship, and the actual determination of the amount of ballast water in a loading condition.

This present implementation is tuned at finding the optimum with respect to quick ballast operations etc. On demand it can be extended with other optimization goals, such determining the weight distribution for optimal trim.