Virtual prototyping of maritime systems and operations: applications of distributed co-simulations

In this work, we demonstrate the use of co-simulation technology in the maritime industry through four relevant examples of applications based on the outcome of the knowledge-building project Virtual Prototyping of Maritime Systems and Operations (ViProMa). Increasing computational capabilities opens for extended use of simulators in the design processes. Even complex systems can now be analyzed at an early stage of the design process and even in real time using distributed simulation technology. We conduct an assessment of the need for co-simulation technology in the industry, present a short background in co-simulation technology, and provide a short summary of the major findings and deliverables in the ViProMa project (http://viproma.no). The four case studies presented in this work pinpoint different advantages of using co-simulations in the industry, such as combining different modeling and simulation tools, improving collaboration without revealing sensitive information by using black-box models, testing conceptual designs in a fast and consistent manner before initiating building processes, and verifying the interplay between hardware and software in the simulation environment in hardware in the loop (HIL) tests. All the case studies are simulated using the open source co-simulation software Coral developed in the project, using the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard, and the co-simulation software can be downloaded from the project’s web site.