Developments in Modular Construction For

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Future Trends & Opportunit ies in Warship Design & Construction 1

Index

S.No. Papers

1 Naval perspective plan and IN road map.2 Evolution of Indian Naval ship design capability and way ahead.3 Considerations for the design and sustainment of modern warships.4 Challenges in Design & Construction of warships for the 21st Century.5 Green technologies & practices-Application opportunities for Naval vessels.6 Future trends in design and construction of warships.7 Design and construction of warships for the 21stcentury.8 Stages of Co-operation and Industrial base of shipbuilding in 21stcentury.9 Benchmarking of shipbuilding yards and ship building processes.10 Risk analysis in warship construction.

11 Warship building a growth engine for national economy.12 Benchmarking of shipbuilding yards and shipbuilding processes.13 Design of future ships with laser weapons.14 Importance to incorporate user inputs on galley and store houses while

designing a naval platform.15 Equipment development for warship stealth.16 Integrated Topside Design optimising the electromagnetic design of ships.17 Design prototypes and test platforms for submarine technology induction:

Review and way ahead.18 Developments in modular construction for shipbuilding.19 A parametric evaluation of s-CO2 and organic working fluid (R123) based

rankine cycles for waste heat recovery system.20 Electric propulsion- A strategic choice for the Indian navy.21 Analysis of technologies having influence on productivity of Indian shipyards.22 Lessons for future warship design, construction and fitment strategise to

handle 'COTS'.23 Will we get what we want challenges in the emerging reality of competitive

ship building.

24 Acquisition of ships through Indian yards A perspective.25 Technologies for management of acoustic signature of ships & submarines.26 Propulsion system design and selection philosophy in Naval ship building.27 Enabling defence exports in warship design and construction.

28 Warship building industry- The challenges in subcontracting.29 Study on dual fuel operation of diesel engines using alternate fuel for energy

efficient Navy.30 Challenges in Naval platform design and construction.31 EMI and EMC considerations for onboard power generation systems.32 Benchmarking of Indian warship building yards - Aspects and prospects.33 On-Board internal audio communication system challenges in future ship

building.
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34 PLM/PDM implementation in warship building yards in India.35 Outrigger position optimization for least resistance using ship flow.36 DND - IIT Delhi partnership - Potential & Possibilities.

37 Virtual instrumentation technology for warship automation (an example ofweapon launch).

38 Optimized fracture mechanics based design of Naval structures.39 Hybrid power & propulsion solutions to meet multi-mission needs.40 A Comparative study of underwater blast resistance of air-backed and water-

backed warship structural panels.41 Epox alloy as advanced non metallic construction material for ship building.
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Enabling Defence Exports in warship Design and Construction


Abstract

World War II saw the emergence of modular construction as a new shipbuildingphilosophy for the construction of Liberty ships. This philosophy was refined byIshikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Japan and subsequently by manyusers over the years. Today fall in demand for naval vessels has forced use ofmodularization in shipbuilding since modularization is considered as the best availabletool for reducing cost and increasing competitiveness without investing in newfacilities, machines and tools. The present paper discusses evolution of modularity inshipbuilding and ongoing developments in this area.

Keywords:Modularity; Modularization; Lean construction.

1. Introduction

1.1 World class shipyards have been exploiting build strategies that have enabled them todramatically lower costs, improve construction quality and extend ship design features andcapabilities. These strategies have mainly focused on improvement of manufacturing &assembly methods, procurement & material control, business processes and / or shipdesigns & engineering processes. Of these areas, the primary focus area for any ship builderhas been improving the manufacturing & assembly procedure. It has been realized worldover that reduction in time for the construction process results into a quantum reduction ofdelivery time for a ship.

1.2 In earlier days shipbuilding followed the straight stickprocess. Workers would turn upon site and start by leveling the ground. They would then put a piece of steel in the ground(stick) and bolt it down. It would be like a meccano set. Engineering has changed all this withtime. Today shipbuilding follows the following three levels for manufacturing & assemblyprocesses:

(a) Prefabrication:Generally takes place at a specialized facility, in which variousmaterials are joined to form a component as part of the final installation.(b) Preassembly: A process wherein various materials, prefabricated components,and / or equipment are joined together for subsequent installation.

(c) Module: A combination of preassemblies joined together that can betransported froma facility.

1.3 Interpretation of modularization differs from field of work, but the general idea is todivide large systems into smaller, self-sufficient parts. The way these parts are combinedmakes a final unique design.

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Modularization allows complex structures to be made manageable, allows parallel workingand can accommodate future uncertainty. By breakingthe complexity down to self-sustainable building blocks, where each module has definedsystem borders and demands, the engineer is able to manage large and complex systems ina structured way. Each module is developed as an individual block, and it is the combinationof these blocks that makes the end product. Modularization techniques can be applied toplatform construction and systems design. Larger modules can be built with more fit-out andtesting undertaken on land earlier in the build process.

1.4 Compared to conventional construction, modular construction requires greaterinteraction among construction activities, requiring planning of many of these activities tooccur early in the project as seen in Figure 1. Modular construction redefines relationshipsamong activities that are usually independent in conventional construction. Unlike standardconstruction, where most of the design, engineering and construction activities are performedin sequential order, activities for modular construction involve additional interdependencysince activities can be performed in parallel in various fabrication shops and / or at variousconstruction sites. The present paper discusses evolution of modularity in shipbuilding andongoing developments in this area.

Fig 1: Comparison of Conventional and Modular work flow

2. Historical Background

2.1 Henry Kaisers introduction of Group Technology for the Liberty ships (to achievebenefits normally associated with production lines) lead to development of modular assemblyfor shipbuilding business during WWII bringing about an industrial revolution within theindustry. This concept of modular construction came about due to a need of optimizingshipbuilding production process reducing costs and increasing competitiveness withoutinvesting in new facilities, machines and tools. Using the logic of Group Technology, DrHisashi Shinto of Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (IHI) developed and refined

the Product Work Breakdown Structure (PWBS). This helped IHI to build over 2,000 shipsduring 1960 to 1970. In 1976 significance of the IHI system for shipbuilding was realized bythe world. Using this technology from contract to delivery, Avondale Shipyard delivered thecomplex product carrier Exxon Charleston in Oct 1983.

2.2 Since then this concept has been employed by various shipbuilding houses in differentforms. Some of these are:

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Concept uses standard interface connections for various mission containers and equipmentslike winches and cranes.

(h) SWATH (A&R):A consortium of Abeking & Rasmussen and Lrssen Werft developeda SWATH platform which supports shock-elastically supported modules. The completesuperstructure with accommodation and bridge is one module; another module was forlaunching / retrieving drones. The platform contains only the absolutely necessary equipmentsuch as maneuvering devices, electrically driven propulsion, fuel and ballast tanks. Theplatform is structurally self-supporting and carries modules which do not contribute to globalstrength and are in themselves structurally self-supporting. Bridge and engine room areadded as base module located up front. The central module hosts the operational central andaccommodation units, kitchen and further equipment for the operation such as electrictransformers. The aft module may be exchanged for individual missions, containingweapons, launching-retrieval systems for AUVs or boats.

(j) Standard Flex (Flyfisken Class): The Standard Flex 300 or the Flyvefisken Class,is a multi-role vessel based on a standard hull with containerized systems and equipment,which allows the vessel to change role quickly for surveillance, surface combat, anti-submarine warfare, countermeasures / mine hunting, or pollution control tasks. This fiber-reinforced plastic vessel is designed by the Danish Navy and Naval team Denmark. Between1987 and 1996 a total of 14 of these vessels were built by Danyard A/S.

(k) French-Italian FREMM (frigate euro penne multi-mission): Following the successof the Danish Standard Flex approach, the French-Italian frigate design based on a modularship design approach to provide the desired flexibility and cost effectiveness was developed.The concept foresees a standard platform, fitted with equipment shared by all operational

functions. This plug & play concept makes it easier to stay abreast of new systemsdevelopments.

(l) M1000 (Accommodation) System: In the 1960s, Blohm+Voss developed a designfor production ship called Pioneer which included a prefabricated accommodation systemM1000. The M1000 consisted of a steel framework for cabin structures with well thought outconnection details and fire proof panels for quick assembly. While the Pioneer concept assuch flopped, the M1000 accommodation system, taken separately, proved to be a success.

(m) Thyssen Nordseewerke (TNSW) modular engine room: TNSW concentrated onintroduction of standardization and modularization in engine room design. In 1991 piping and

pump groups were replaced by completely assembled and pre-outfitted functional modules(low-temperature cooling water module; high temperature water module; sea-water coolingmodule; separator module; lubricating and fuel oil module; starting air and control air module)for a 1500 TEU containerships.

____________________________________________________________________After the first series of containerships, the module series was extended with some additionalmodules. In total, thirteen containerships were built between 1991 and 1996 with thismodular engine room.


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(n) Modular deckhouse: In1998, a consortium of shipbuilding suppliers in Rostock /Germany started with a prototype of a modular deckhouse.The deckhouse consists ofaccommodation, floor, bridge, funnel and appendage modules. Decks consist of mass-produced laser-welded sandwich panels.

(p) Engine Room Built Strategy (National Steel and Shipbuilding Company[NASSCO]): NASSCO developed the innovative Engine Room Built Strategy, developed andsupported by a Concurrent Engineering team for the Strategic Sealift New ConstructionProgram engine room. During the design of modules, extra attention was paid to improve thepiping and cabling architecture.

(q) Ulstein Modular Design Strategy: The Ulstein A101 (offshore supply vessel),launched in late 2002 was built using the Ulstein Modular Design Strategy with a strategybased on standardized components employed in different combinations to preserve flexibilityin design while reducing cost.

(r) Modular ship hull design IIT: The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpurpatented a family of modular ship hull forms, combining a choice of one aft body, two forebodies and six mid-bodies to generate a total of twelve hull forms. There is no information onimplementation in industry.

(s) Modular fast catamaran IRIS: The French shipyard Iris Catamarans in La Rochelledeveloped a modular fast catamaran ferry family. The concept consists of closed modules forpassenger space (one or two decks), a control module which groups all functions ofpropulsion, steering, safety and transmission together, and two side hulls containing engines,

auxiliary engines, waterjets and electric systems and connected by three strong girders.

(t) Futura Carrier: The Futura Carrier system is a modular system proposed for inlandwaterways transport vessels. The ship is equipped with 4 propulsion units, two astern andtwo forward. Aft and forward propulsion modules can be combined with standardaccommodation units and cargo modules (tanker, container, general cargo). A prototype ofthis ship was built in 2005 by the German shipyard CON-MAR.

3. Using Modular-Build

Why to use3.1 Modular-build strategy might be required for political reasons, such as to provide workto more than one geographic region or maintain a shipbuilding industrial base, or it might beneeded to access skills available only at different shipyards or to overcome capacityconstraints.

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In some circumstances, reduced cost might be hoped for. Primarily there are threecircumstances under which a multiple-shipyard, modular-build strategy might be adopted:

(a) A customer might specify the requirement;(b) A prime-contracting shipyard might plan to outsource elements of construction(c) An event in a build shipyard might lead to unplanned outsourcing of some ofthe work.

3.2 Use of modules carries the concept of early stage construction cost savings evenfurther. Benefits of modular build are seen in every stage of the life of a ship. These include:

New Construction Benefits:

(a) Shorter construction time hence reduced overhead cost and lesser impact ofinflation.(b) Reduced cost from learning effects. Additional efficiency is gained if modulesare standardized.(c) Reduced cost due to lesser overheads if built by a smaller shipyard / industry.(d) More opportunities for smaller businesses leading to a larger supplier base thusimproving quality and further reduced costs.(e) More productspossible in available funds.

Ship Maintenance Benefits

(a) Easy removal from onboard and repaired in shop.(b) Less costly to upgrade, repair or replace.(c) Faster turn-around time to repair / replace modules

(d) Even faster turn-around with Swap-out / Swap-in scenario of selected modules(e) Increase fleet operation time due to reduced time in yard

Ship Operations Benefits

(a) Provide more flexibility for a standard ship platform(b) Allow more focus of purpose for specific operating requirements(c) Minimize need for incorporating unnecessary systems.

How to use

3.3 Deciding the appropriate level of design process is a major challenge that must beaddressed at the beginning of each design phase. Early stage ship design process does notdeal with the ship in terms of modules or zones and the process itself is not structured for re-useable design modules.When we design a design process, we need to create standardizedbuilding blocks that are defined primarily at their interfaces, rather than by their internalprocedures

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By standardizing the process interfaces, we can evolve the internal structure as necessary tomeet changing requirements. When the external properties are controlled, we can changeinternal methods without unraveling the entire design process.

3.4 Before defining a module one needs to keep the modular technical architecture inmind which includes the analysis / acquisition plans, technology market surveillance,functional partitioning / ship arrangements, zone allocation, ship adjacency issues (blast,radiation areas, functional connectivity, material handling, etc.), systems engineeringtradeoffs (adaptability vs. cost vs. performance vs. risk), zone development (arrangements,ship services, access), module / module station development, ship weight management(ballast, structural design) to name a few.

3.5 Definition of modules has the greatest influence on shipbuilding productivity. Modulescan be developed in a variety of ways. These include outfit and equipment modules, hullassembly blocks, outfitted hull blocks, and outfitted panel assemblies. Unit outfit may be assmall as a single piece of equipment mounted on its foundation and ready to install on panel,on block or on board. Or can be a complex assembly of equipment, piping, electrical andother systems all pre-mounted on a support structure. These module blocks should bedesigned with similar volume, weight and shape characteristics in orderto distribute workevenly during fabrication and assembly levels which precede block assembly. It is ensuredthat welding is shifted from difficult to down-hand. Block design should also be of the largestsize governed by the available facilities such as crane capacity, dockspace/availability,buildings, etc.3.6 For modular construction to happen,a basic design is transformed into a zone-orienteddesign utilizing a product-oriented process. Detailed design needs to be completed beforeconstruction begins. Integrated hull construction, outfitting, painting and pipe piece work

process lanes are established for production of interim products leading to the erection of aship in a building dock. Zone-oriented scheduling controls the flow of work on the variouswork process lanes, ensuring no competition for work area access. Majority of work isdonedown-hand. Work packages are ideally sized for two workers to complete in a week. Finally,zone orientation provides accurate progress reporting and cost collection which is directlyrelated to work completed. Thus, managers can forecast work remaining and resourcesrequired. All these contribute to a shipbuilding method that is faster, less labor intensive andless expensive.

3.7 There are precautions that must be taken in order to minimize failures in applyingmodular construction techniques as modular construction requires better than normal

engineering, better than normal quality assurance and higher level of design standards tominimize interferences and disconnects.

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4. Where is the world moving to?

4.1 Modular adaptable ship technologies enable ships to affordably remain operationallyrelevant over their service life. Various types of modularity exist. These include Constructionmodularity (Production Modularity) and Capability Swapping modularity (Mission Modularity,Component Sharing, Software Modularity and Maintenance Modularity). At the working levelthese may be further subdivided into Component Level (Physical, Digital Interfaces), SystemLevel (Equipment and Module Stations) or Total Ship Architecture Level (F/E Zones).

We shall look at these two broad areas wherein modularity is being exercised inshipbuilding.

Construction Modularity:

4.2 Naval architecture specifies selection or design of hull form first. Then, all necessarysystems are forced to fit within the physical hull confines. This is called the outside-indesign. This design procedure leads to unreliable weight and area/volume estimates. Itbelieves that volume is arrange able leading to adverse effects such as

(a) An unstable design wherein arrangements cannot be frozen early.(b) Increased Detail Design and Construction costs(c) Costly exotic, lightweight materials, difficult to weld(d) Increased energy consumption and Fleet fuel costs(f) Insufficient service-life allowances(g) Increased maintenance and repair costs

(h) Increased modernization costs(j) Reductions in years of expected service-life(k) Many Band-Aids to keep ships operating(l) Operational restrictions

4.3 In order to overcome these adverse effects, the decomposition-based approachproposes the exactly opposite design approach. In this approach called the inside-outdesign, the systems are designed first, and then the hull is designed to enclose thecumulative system volume and area as mapped through functional allocation. This approachallows a functional ship design. It identifies functions requiring fulfillment, presents physicaldesign parameters to meet these needs, and maps the interrelationship between the two.

Decomposing into subsystems creates a logical structure with bounded subsystems that canbe more easily analyzed, designed, built, and maintained. Basic logical steps in this directioninclude:

(a) Add the template hull form to the internal functional space model.(b) Resize the hull form in the most flexible zone location to fit the internalfunctional spaces.

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(c) Using the design rules to connect the internal arrangements to the initial hullform.(d) Develop the initial naval architectural characteristics using the design rules andrefine the spatial arrangement and hull form used to produce base vessel.

Capability Swapping:

4.4 To achieve software / hardware replacement by different / new products / technologiesof like function and capacity without requiring changes to the overall system, modularity isused. This has taken importance due to

(a) Need of more flexible ships that can be configured to multi-missions(b) Faster rate of technology change wherein software has been found to changeevery 18 months(c) Ability of computer industry to provide interfaces for plug and play(d) Increased number of open standards now available i.e ISO, IEEE etc.

4.5 In order to achieve capability swapping, standardization takes place at the interface[physical and functional interfaces (HW), software interfaces (SW) and RF interfaces (links)]and not inside the modules. This allows technology insertion and mission reconfiguration.

5. What can the Navy do?

5.1 The navy should consider assembling, pre-outfitting, integrated testing of combatweapon systems off-hull, so that final installation, checkout delivery of the integrated warship

takes weeks instead of months or years. This philosophy could be applied to

(a) Combat system computing plant, command and display hardware;(b) Sensors; and(c) Weapon delivery systems.

5.2 There is precedent for this approach in the LCS program. Taken to extremes, the navycould take delivery of the ship and execute final installation and checkout at a naval facility,saving time and money at the delivery shipyard.

5.3 The R&D community can assist this paradigm change by providing the research on

structural integrity, damage control aspects, and optimal distributed systems engineering forships that are predominantly modular. The community also can help to engineer the off-hulltest facilities and simulation and stimulation programs that will be required if this concept isfollowed to its full potential. In addition, new ways of thinking about modular interfaces mustbe explored rigorously and characterized in order to facilitate widespread adaptation of thistechnique.

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6. Conclusion

6.1 The fall in demand for naval vessels coupled with the ever increasing advances intechnology, such as the use of 2D / 3D computer aided design and modularization arerevolutionizing the way ships are built. The concept of shipbuilding has shifted away from thetraditional method where ships were constructed on a slipway and built up as they wentforward to modular construction which has proved to be the most cost effective way to delivermodern warships. It is all about integration. Modular ship production starts with hundreds ofsmaller subassemblies such as piping sections, ventilation ducting, other shipboard hardwareand major machinery items being joined together. These sections are then assembled withother shipboard sensors and weapons to form ship modules.

6.2 The final module often weights hundreds of tons (between 60% to 90% complete), aremoved to the final consolidation site where they are aligned and then welded together to formthe completed ship hull. A floating dock, slipway or ship-lift is used to launch the completedhull. Following launch, final ship outfitting is completed at the wharf, systems are set to work,and pre-delivery certification and onboard crew training finalized. Integration of modulesmeans that only one major site is needed to assemble the various parts of the ship that havebeen constructed elsewhere. This trend toward building a ship using modules hasdramatically changed the dynamics of shipbuilding.

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References:

[1] Modularization of Ships, Report within the Framework of Project Intermodul s/03/GIntermareC, Volker Bertram, France, 2005

[2] Shared Modular Build of Warships, RAND Corporation technical report series, 2011

[3] Chapter 2 - Current trends in Naval shipbuilding Parliament of Australiahttp://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Fo...

[4] Australias $250 billion Nation Building Opportunity, Naval Shipbuilding, Dec 2009

[5] A review and analysis of modular construction practices, Mayra L. De La Torre, MScThesis Lehigh University 1994

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