Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) offers the capability to bring innovative, efficient solutions into the design process of the marine industry. In comparison to experimental testing facilities, CFD offers clear technical advantages including full-scale modeling and in-depth analysis of flow phenomena. Furthermore, overall project costs and turnaround times can be significantly decreased when a CFD analysis is incorporated into the design cycle.

State-of-the-art RANS CFD approaches predict the flow not only qualitatively ('delta-s'), but also on a quantitative level (for both low and high Froude number flows). And as computer hardware costs continue to decrease, CFD analysis is now an economically attractive option for numerous marine applications including resistance & propulsion analysis, seakeeping, manoeuvering, optimization studies, and hydraulics.

Rather than using CFD as a verification tool alone, close integration of CFD as early as possible in the design loop is bringing large added value to the engineering process. This approach provides a relatively cheap but reliable tool to identify the best candidate models, even at the concept phase, leading to more efficient designs at reduced costs and thus minimizing costly design changes at later project stages.