CRS - 55 years old and still flourishing!
Conference/JournalMARIN Report 143
Date5 Mar 2025
“It has no office. It has no personnel. It has no director. But it exists and it has flourished for 50 years: The Cooperative Research Ships (CRS).” This is the original quote from the editorial in MARIN’s Report magazine in June 2019.
Now, five years later, CRS is still around, and still thriving, with 24 committed member companies working on expanding CRS knowledge by sharing ideas and results. Of course, some things have changed: the COVID pandemic has affected the CRS modus operandi too. Where we used to meet four times per year in person, nowadays we meet only twice per year.
Now, five years later, CRS is still around, and still thriving, with 24 committed member companies working on expanding CRS knowledge by sharing ideas and results. Of course, some things have changed: the COVID pandemic has affected the CRS modus operandi too. Where we used to meet four times per year in person, nowadays we meet only twice per year.
Contact
Ed van Daalen
senior researcher
SO, WHAT IS GOING ON IN CRS?
Propeller design optimisation:
We applied multi-objective optimisation methods to automated propeller design. This design process is characterised by many input parameters (>30) and many design constraints that apply simultaneously in operational conditions. Various optimisation methods were tested, with one Competitive Particle Swarm Method nearly always coming out on top, which is now the default method.
We applied multi-objective optimisation methods to automated propeller design. This design process is characterised by many input parameters (>30) and many design constraints that apply simultaneously in operational conditions. Various optimisation methods were tested, with one Competitive Particle Swarm Method nearly always coming out on top, which is now the default method.
Tip-leakage vortex cavitation
Propeller-rudder interaction in manoeuvring
Composite propellers:
We investigated the application of composite materials in propulsors, with a focus on composite propeller design using CRS analysis software. This software was enhanced for unsteady conditions; model-scale validation data were collected through cavitation tunnel testing using digital image correlation techniques. We also addressed scaling effects in model testing, the behaviour of composites under extreme loads and cavitation, and other applications such as rudders and stators.
We investigated the application of composite materials in propulsors, with a focus on composite propeller design using CRS analysis software. This software was enhanced for unsteady conditions; model-scale validation data were collected through cavitation tunnel testing using digital image correlation techniques. We also addressed scaling effects in model testing, the behaviour of composites under extreme loads and cavitation, and other applications such as rudders and stators.
Manoeuvring & seakeeping:
New requirements such as Safe Return to Port (SRtP), Minimum Power Requirements (MPR), or Navy operational requirements motivated us to study ship safety at low speed in harsh weather conditions. This multidisciplinary problem involves propulsion, manoeuvring and seakeeping. Using RANS, RANS-BEM and RANS-(U)RANS calculations we created validation data for better predictions of the propeller, rudder and wave drift forces and we derived guidelines on the rudder position relative to the propeller.
New requirements such as Safe Return to Port (SRtP), Minimum Power Requirements (MPR), or Navy operational requirements motivated us to study ship safety at low speed in harsh weather conditions. This multidisciplinary problem involves propulsion, manoeuvring and seakeeping. Using RANS, RANS-BEM and RANS-(U)RANS calculations we created validation data for better predictions of the propeller, rudder and wave drift forces and we derived guidelines on the rudder position relative to the propeller.
Flow interaction in manoeuvring