New hull form developed by UK-Singapore partners

Marine sustainability pioneer, EcoNavis Solutions, and Singapore ship design firm, ShipDyn, have developed a new hull form that merges twin demi-hulls forward into a monohull aft. The Y-Hull combines the stability and deck space of a catamaran with the efficiency and propulsive efficiency of a single hull.

The forward part of the vessel looks like a normal catamaran but the single hull to the aft of the ship enables  operation on one engine and one propeller. However, the broader beam and stability of a twin hull are retained, the partners explained.

Development of the Y-Hull came after ShipDyn founder, Amitavo Wye, witnessed the capsize of a Bangladeshi passenger vessel in the wake of a large commercial ship. And it was this that prompted development and construction of the 13m-long Y-Hull prototype, Wye, which now ferries Bangladeshi passengers across one of the country’s waterways.

Wye says the hull configuration generates fuel savings of 25% compared with a monohull of the same dimensions, as well as other environmental benefits and improved seakeeping. He is now working with Batuhan Aktas, founder and CEO of EcoNavis Solutions, a start-up with roots in the University of Strathclyde and developer of the Eco Boss Cap, to refine the design. The hull form is being optimised using computational fluid dynamics, simulation and towing tank tests of one-metre-long monohull, catamaran and Y-Hull models.  

Aktas commented: “When I first saw the Y-Hull, I recognised its potential for applications like crew transfer vessels, which are critical to offshore wind but consume significant amounts of fuel. By optimising the design, we can create vessels that are more efficient, more comfortable, and more in line with a ship operator’s sustainability and net-zero goals.”