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:
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.