Naval Architect and Ocean Engineer

Land resources are getting scarce and oceans and water bodies would be the destination in future. Small countries like Singapore are expanding and creating artificial land and underwater structures. For a country like India which surrounded by water on three sides the potential in water structures and vehicles is huge. Who knows India will have commercial floating airport or floating city. All the structures and developments in the oceans is made possible by Naval architects and Ocean Engineers.

Naval architects are basically engineers who deal with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures like watercrafts, hydrofoils and oil drilling platforms. They do research, design development, design evaluation and stability calculations during all stages of the life of a marine vehicle. Preliminary design of the vessel, its detailed design, construction, trials, operation and maintenance, launching and dry-docking are the main activities involved. Ship design calculations are also required for ships being modified (by means of conversion, rebuilding, modernization, or repair). Naval architects also are involved in formulation of safety regulations and damage control rules and the approval and certification of ship designs to meet statutory and non-statutory requirements.

Their work includes all types of watercrafts like cargo ships, tankers, bulk carriers, warships, submarines, passenger ferries, cruise liners, hovercraft, boats, yachts, icebreakers, and other structures.

Ocean Engineers invent Oceanographic instruments and devices for use by Oceanographers. These instruments and devices are used to study about oceans and their impact on eco systems. Some examples these devices and instruments are Ocean seismometers, underwater video equipment, underwater vehicles, satellite linked floats etc.

Ocean Engineers study engineering sciences, and receive training in core study areas related to Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture. A course in Ocean Engineering includes Marine constructions, Floating structures, Hydrostatics and Stability, Marine Hydrodynamics, Ship Strength, Resistance and Propulsion, Computer Aided Marine Design and Production, Design of Marine Vehicles, Motion and Control, Marine Production and Planning, and Marine Systems. Ocean Engineering is an interdisciplinary study area. Students who enroll in Ocean Engineering programs at college and university level also study subjects like mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, acoustical engineering and chemical engineering. Experts in the education and engineering domains recognize ocean engineering as exceptionally systems oriented field because of its interdisciplinary nature.