ShipCalculators.com

Ship Science & Engineering

Ship Science & Marine Engineering

Ship science is the engineering of how a hull floats, moves and survives at sea, spanning naval architecture, marine engineering and nautical science. Naval architecture sets intact and damage stability under SOLAS II-1 probabilistic subdivision, the form coefficients (block, prismatic, midship) and resistance prediction by methods such as Holtrop-Mennen 1982. Marine engineering covers the two-stroke low-speed diesel that drives most deep-sea tonnage, its SFOC and heat balance. The EEDI reference lines under MARPOL Annex VI Reg.25 tie hull and machinery design to a CO2 limit, while ship types from Capesize bulkers to ULCV boxships are defined by beam, draught and canal locks.

This portal covers the engineering and physics: hydrostatics, powering, machinery, navigation and hull design. The statutory limits these calculations must satisfy (Load Line, EEDI as regulation) live in /regulation/; the emissions science sits in /environment/.

Topic clusters

Naval architecture

Marine engineering

Nautical science & navigation

Shipbuilding & recycling

Ship types & size classes

Featured articles

Calculators by subject

Naval architecture

Marine engineering

Nautical science & navigation

Shipbuilding & recycling

Ship types & size classes

Common questions

What is the block coefficient of a ship?
The block coefficient (Cb) is the ratio of a hull's underwater volume to the box formed by its length, beam and draught; a Capesize bulk carrier runs about 0.83 to 0.85, a fast container ship nearer 0.60, which sets how much resistance the hull generates at a given speed.
Why do large ships use two-stroke diesel engines?
Low-speed two-stroke crosshead diesels turn the propeller directly at 60 to 120 rpm without a gearbox, burn heavy fuel oil and reach about 50% thermal efficiency, which makes them the standard prime mover for deep-sea bulkers, tankers and container ships.
What does the EEDI measure?
The Energy Efficiency Design Index expresses a new ship's CO2 output in grams per tonne-mile of transport work; under MARPOL Annex VI Reg.25 the attained EEDI must fall below a required reference line that has tightened in phases since 2013.