Abstract
In this paper, the applicability of response surface methodology (RSM) to the design of ship structures is examined. One of the principal features of RSM is to rationally minimize the number of response evaluations by using the technique of experimental design. RSM also allows easy estimation of the change of response associated with the change of the design parameters on the obtained response surface. This is particularly effective in ship structural designs wherein trade-offs between design parameters are everyday occurrences. However, before RSM is applied to the actual design, the degree of the approximate polynomial equation that represents the response surface, and the necessary number of response evaluations, etc., must be examined. Thus, the optimization of the transverse bulkhead structure of a crude oil tanker is performed as an example of the application of RSM, wherein the method's effectiveness together with the results of above-mentioned basic examinations are shown.
