Design and finite element analysis of gondola construction for multibeam echosounder (MBES) installation on RV Baruna Jaya III - BPPT

Abstract

The revitalization of hydrographic equipment at the Research Vessel (RV) Baruna Jaya III has been carried out by the Technology Center for Marine Survey (BTSK) – BPPT to improve its service capabilities. A Multi-Beam Echosounder (MBES) for the deep-sea mapping up to 8000 meters depth has been chosen to replace the existing equipment which only has a mapping capability of 3000 meters depth. MBES requires a support construction mounted on the vessel hulls as its housing, considering the installation principle from both the shipowner and MBES maker. In this research, a gondola installation principle has been agreed to develop. The gondola construction has been designed in consideration of actual vessel conditions and several requirements by the MBES maker. The design construction is further analyzed using the finite element method (FEM) to ensure its strength and safety and meet Indonesian Classification Society (BKI) minimum requirements. The analysis conditions are divided into 3; hydrostatic load (A), sensors load (B), and the combination of hydrostatic and sensor load (C). The von Mises stress was obtained from finite element analysis for conditions A, B, and C, respectively, 164 MPa, 1.552 MPa, and 160.8 MPa. The analysis results in all loading conditions have met the minimum allowable stress required by Indonesia Classification Society rules, which is 180 MPa. In conclusion, the design of the gondola construction for MBES installation on RV Baruna Jaya III has good structural strength and safety, so it is feasible to use.