The Specification of an Integrated Computer-Aided Ship Design Process in an Academic Environment.

The increased use of Computer-Aided Design tools in the area of Naval ship design has generated a need for ship design engineers who are thoroughly familiar with the capabilities, limitations and operation of these tools. As a major source of these design engineers, the need for such a Computer-Aided Design CAD facility at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is established. The current Naval ship design process is discussed and the place of the CAD system is established within this process. Current CAD facilities and capabilities of the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are investigated and system limitations are discussed. Inherent features required of a system which can overcome these limitations while providing an educational tool are developed. A prototype CAD system possessing many of these features is developed with guidance provided for future enhancement of this system. Author