NCC Croatia Brings CFD and HPC to Superyacht Engineering Workflows

Why It Matters

The initiative accelerates superyacht engineering, reduces costly redesigns, and proves that HPC can deliver actionable marine‑system insights within practical timeframes.

Key Takeaways

• NCC Croatia trained Lürssen engineers on CFD and HPC.
• OpenFOAM simulations identified geometry‑induced airflow imbalances.
• Detailed HPC runs completed in under twelve hours.
• Workflow enables faster design iterations for superyacht ventilation.
• Project showcases HPC’s practical impact in marine engineering.

Pulse Analysis

Designing ventilation for large vessels has long been hampered by the sheer complexity of duct networks, internal obstacles, and the need for uniform air distribution. Traditional hand calculations often fall short, leaving engineers to rely on costly physical prototypes. Advances in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and high‑performance computing (HPC) now provide a digital alternative, allowing detailed three‑dimensional flow analysis that captures secondary circulations, separation zones, and pressure losses with unprecedented fidelity.

In the recent collaboration, NCC Croatia equipped Lürssen Design Centre Kvarner’s engineers with the skills to run OpenFOAM simulations on a dedicated supercomputing platform. After a focused training program, the team modeled a nine‑branch ventilation segment, first with a simplified geometry and then with downstream ducts that mimicked real‑world resistance. The simplified case resolved in roughly one hour, while the high‑resolution study—incorporating complex obstacle interactions—finished in less than twelve hours. These results validated the CFD approach against on‑board measurements and highlighted how duct arrangement, rather than fan performance, drove the observed airflow disparities.

The practical outcome extends beyond a single case study. By internalizing CFD/HPC capabilities, Lürssen can now evaluate design alternatives rapidly, reducing the iteration loop from weeks to days. This agility translates into shorter time‑to‑market for new superyacht projects and lower engineering costs. Moreover, the success underscores the broader relevance of European HPC initiatives, such as EuroCC 2, in delivering tangible value to niche industries like marine engineering, where precision and speed are paramount.