Inverse design procedure for high speed forms

Due to modern effective missile and sensor systems high speed small to medium sized corvettes and frigates have become the main force in many navies. These craft are cheap alternatives to larger and more expensive conventional warships. However, being small brings its own problems, particularly in seakeeping performance in rough seas. Due to relative smallness in size these vessels must have superior seakeeping performance characteristics in order to carry out complex missions. In the design of these ships proper selection of main dimensions and hull form parameters will influence the operational effectiveness of the vessel. In order to achieve a balanced design an inverse design methodology is developed and applied to high speed small to medium sized vessels. This methodology is based on a direct search method and employs various hull form generation routines, seakeeping performance prediction programs as well as stability and resistance routines.