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COMPUTER AIDED OPTIMISATION OF PIPE LAYOUT IN A SHIP MACHINERY ROOM

Aleksander Kniat
Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Ship Technology
Technical University of Gdansk
ul. G.Narutowicza 11/12
80-952 Gdansk, POLAND
tel. +48 58 3471237
fax +48 58 3414712
olek@pg.gda.pl

The hybrid algorithm for automatic routing and optimisation of pipes in the three dimensional space is presented here. To minimise the consumption of computer resources the switching mechanism between hierarchical algorithm and wave algorithm has been introduced. Simplified hierarchical algorithm is always applied first. If it does not find a solution then exact and more complex wave algorithm is applied in limited space. Both algorithms are used to find rectilinear Steiner's tree. The optimisation of number of bends is performed after the rectilinear Steiner's tree has been found.

The results produced by the hybrid algorithm were partially verified on a model of machinery room of a ship. The model of machinery room originally prepared in KCS Tribon system was obtained by the courtesy of Szczecin Shipyard of Poland. Two different pipe installations of the model have been chosen for experiment. The routes of the pipes of the installations have been found automatically by the hybrid algorithm. For comparison drawings of segments of original installations and automatically routed centrelines are shown. The possible fields of application of the hybrid algorithm and its limitations are also discussed.