Jellyfish inspire tomorrow's shipping. Global Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics to Gothenburg

More than 100 of the world's experts in naval hydrodynamics will be coming to Gothenburg 26–31 August to discuss the latest in fluid dynamics and shipping. This year's international symposium is a joint arrangement between the US Office of Naval Research, SSPA Sweden AB and the Chalmers University of Technology to promote the exchange of marine research and innovation between countries. Bio-inspired design is one of the topics that will be in focus during the symposium.

This is the first time that the Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics – the 29th in all – will be held in Sweden. More than 80 research reports with the latest in fluid mechanics and hydrodynamics will be presented. This year's opening speech highlights a rapidly growing research area within hydrodynamics – bio-inspired design. This involves the study of how marine animals move so as to take inspiration from nature in developing new technologies that improve the propulsion of today's maritime vessels, which produces a positive environmental effect both in the water and in the air.

"By mimicking the behaviour of jellyfish, fish and dolphins for example, hulls and propellers can be designed so that ships move through the water more efficiently," says Lars Larsson, Professor of Hydrodynamics at the Chalmers University of Technology, one of the co-arrangers of the symposium. "This produces environmental benefits in the form of reduced fuel consumption and increased energy efficiency."

Several topics during the symposium concern the latest research in extreme waves, cavitation, hydrodynamics for water-jet operation, underwater craft and high-speed vessels, innovation in friction-reduction and hydrodynamic optimisation of ship hulls.

The media is invited to a lecture on the latest in bio-inspired design entitled "Nature's Propulsion Methods" at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Gothenburg on 27 August 2012 at 08.30-11.00. There will be opportunities for interviews afterwards.

For more information and registration for the lecture, please contact
Helén Jansson, Communication & Market Manager, SSPA,
Telephone +46 (0)31 772 9016, Email: info@sspa.se

About the symposium and hydrodynamics: www.sspa.se/news

About hydrodynamics
Hydrodynamics entails the study of the water’s movement under the influence of various forces, such as between water and propellers, and between water and hulls. When a ship moves through the water the hull creates resistance, which means that the hull's shape determines how easy the ship glides through the water. In designing a hull, consideration must be taken to many factors, with the most important being the hydrodynamic aspects. Hydrodynamics encompasses factors such as fuel economy, seaworthiness, noise/vibrations and manoeuvrability. The optimal hull often constitutes a compromise between these factors.

The Sponsors of the 29th Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics are; Stena Rederi AB, Rolls-Royce Marine, Berg Propulsion and Göteborgs Stad.