Last week, we made an exciting announcement: we will be presenting our R&D project at the Marine 2025 XI International Conference on Computational Methods in Marine Engineering.
Project Overview
« Simultaneous Optimization of Hydrofoil Design and Control Strategies: Application to a Pumping Foiler »
The project centres on a sophisticated computational model that simultaneously optimizes two critical components of a hydrofoil system: the rider’s motion and the hydrofoil’s geometric configuration. By treating these elements as an integrated system, we aim to uncover more efficient design strategies that reduce overall energy consumption.
The research addresses several interconnected simulation challenges:
- multi-body modelling: combining a human rider and an hydrofoil
- trajectory optimization: find the best choreography
- geometric design: a parametrization of the foil geometry suited for optimization
- dynamic modelling: leverage multi-fidelity methods to improve the modelling of the dynamic forces
- iterative workflow: establishing a flexible process that allows continuous learning and improvement through seamless integration of static optimization, dynamic optimization, CFD analysis and model enhancement.
Efficiency at Every Level
- Design Efficiency: Utilizing the most appropriate fidelity tools at each stage of development
- Rider Efficiency: Minimizing energy expenditure through intelligent motion analysis
- Computational Efficiency: Creating a flexible, iterative workflow that learns and improves with each cycle
Looking Ahead
By presenting at Marine 2025, we aim to showcase our approaches to design optimization. The techniques implemented during the project can be transferred to yacht maneuvering optimization, offshore sailing dynamics, and digital twin development, providing a scalable approach to complex system design and simulation across maritime and interdisciplinary engineering domains.
Stay tuned for more details from our conference presentation!
Special Thanks
Yvon Labarthe for the superb video illustrating the choreography, follow him on Youtube: yvonvite_AXIS !
Mattéo Simon-Berthelé for the content and advices. Help him find his internship!