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Steaming on Convex Hulls

Author

Listed:
  • Gerald G. Brown

    (Operations Research Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California 93943)

  • Jeffrey E. Kline

    (Operations Research Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California 93943)

  • Richard E. Rosenthal

    (Operations Research Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California 93943)

  • Alan R. Washburn

    (Operations Research Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California 93943)

Abstract

This is a sea story about using a simple classroom example to save a great deal of money, as well as to convince beginning Postgraduate Naval School operations research students---experienced, skeptical military officers---that mathematical analysis can yield immediate results. The application is planning a ship’s transit from one point to another in a fixed amount of time, given that the ship can operate with one or more of its propulsion plants idled to save fuel. Simple analysis yields nonintuitive results that US Navy shipboard energy-conservation guides overlook. One of the authors (Kline) solved this homework problem as a student and subsequently applied this example when he took command of USS AQUILA, a patrol hydrofoil missile ship. AQUILA achieved results so striking in comparison to her sister ships that the squadron material officer inspected her engineering plant to ensure that no safety settings were being overridden to achieve this record. Kline’s spreadsheet decision-support tool was provided to other hydrofoil commanders. A more general version has been conveyed to the US Navy. Considering that our navy spends about a billion dollars per year on fuel for surface-combatant ships alone, this development promises substantial, long-term returns. “But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes, Feed'st thy light'st flame with self-substantial fuel.” Shakespeare, Sonnet I

Suggested Citation

  • Gerald G. Brown & Jeffrey E. Kline & Richard E. Rosenthal & Alan R. Washburn, 2007. "Steaming on Convex Hulls," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 37(4), pages 342-352, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orinte:v:37:y:2007:i:4:p:342-352
    DOI: 10.1287/inte.1070.0286
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. K Fagerholt & S I Heimdal & A Loktu, 2000. "Shortest path in the presence of obstacles: An application to ocean shipping," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 51(6), pages 683-688, June.
    2. Richard E. Rosenthal & William J. Walsh, 1996. "Optimizing Flight Operations for an Aircraft Carrier in Transit," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 44(2), pages 305-312, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas Buckley Imhoff & Savvas Gkantonas & Epaminondas Mastorakos, 2021. "Analysing the Performance of Ammonia Powertrains in the Marine Environment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-41, November.
    2. Gerald G. Brown & W. Matthew Carlyle, 2008. "Optimizing the US Navy's combat logistics force," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(8), pages 800-810, December.
    3. Gerald G. Brown & Walter C. DeGrange & Robert F. Dell & Ronald D. Fricker, 2015. "ASP, Art and Science of Practice: Educating Military Operations Research Practitioners," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 45(2), pages 175-186, April.
    4. D Ronen, 2011. "The effect of oil price on containership speed and fleet size," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 62(1), pages 211-216, January.

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