Smarter maritime design with Particle Swarm Optimization

A smarter start for maritime structures

In the world of maritime engineering, getting the initial design right is crucial. A well-optimized design can mean the difference between a cost-effective, high-performing structure and one that needs costly revisions later. Our client faced a challenge: their early-stage design approach was functional but often overly conservative, leading to inefficiencies and the risk of starting with flawed assumptions.

The challenge: getting the best initial design

Traditionally, our client used a simplified structural model to generate an initial design based on key requirements. While this worked for standard cases, it often proved too rigid when applied to new or more complex structures. Worse, the approach didn’t validate its own results—meaning that initial designs could sometimes be fundamentally flawed, leading to wasted time and effort further down the line.

Recognizing the need for a more dynamic solution, the client conducted an internal proof of concept using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)—a powerful algorithm that efficiently explores large solution spaces. The idea was simple: PSO could rapidly evaluate multiple design possibilities, ensuring that only viable solutions moved forward.

While the concept was promising, the initial implementation fell short of expectations. The model, tested on a single structure type, failed to produce meaningful improvements. However, the client still believed in PSO’s potential and sought our expertise to refine and enhance the optimizer.

Our solution: refining the optimizer

We took a deep dive into the existing PSO implementation, identifying and resolving the issues causing its underperformance. But we didn’t stop there. Working closely with the client, we introduced several key improvements:

• Greater Flexibility – We restructured the model, making it easier to add new structure types and design checks.
• Regulatory Compliance – Additional checks ensured that all generated designs met industry standards and safety constraints.
• Multi-Criteria Optimization – We incorporated detailed cost estimates, allowing the optimizer to balance multiple cost factors for a more competitive design.
• Configurable Search Space – By refining the design variable ranges, we ensured that expert knowledge could be directly applied to guide the optimization process.
• Clearer Insights – We improved result presentation with tables showing input values, optimized parameters, and the margins (or deficits) for all design constraints.

The impact: smarter, more reliable initial designs

The enhanced optimizer was successfully used in multiple initial design phases, demonstrating its value in real-world applications. One particularly striking case involved a structure significantly larger than any the client had designed before. The optimizer determined that no valid design existed within the given constraints—something the previous method would have failed to identify early on.

Looking ahead

By leveraging Particle Swarm Optimization, we helped our client revolutionize their initial design process, reducing risks, improving efficiency, and ensuring regulatory compliance from the start. The success of this project underscores the power of intelligent optimization in maritime engineering—and how the right expertise can turn a promising idea into a game-changing solution.