As countries develop and expand, land resources are getting scarce. Oceans and bodies of water are emerging as the next resource on which countries are creating artificial land and underwater structures. India, a country surrounded by water on three sides, has huge potential in water structures and vehicles, and soon, commercial floating airports and cities may not be a distant dream. All this is made possible by naval architects and ocean engineers. Naval architects are engineers who research, design, develop, construct, maintain and operate marine vessels and structures of oil drilling platforms, hydrofoils and water vehicles. Design, construction, trials, operation, maintenance, launch and dry-docking are only some of the areas naval architects work in. They also deal with the design, conversion, rebuilding, modernization, repair and modification of ships. They are also involved in the formation of safety regulations, damage control rules, and meeting statutory and non-statutory requirements.

Some watercraft they work with include tankers, bulk carriers, passenger ferries, boats, cruise liners and submarines. Ocean engineers invent instruments and devices for the use of oceanographers to study oceans and their impact on the ecosystem. Some instruments used are seismometers, underwater vehicles and satellite linked floats. Graduates in this field might find careers with the Indian Navy, government or in private shipyards. They can also work independently in areas like ship repair, boat-building or ship lifts. They can also fine work in agencies related to offshore oil recovery, marine metals and corrosion, environmental protection, renewable energy, remote sensing and marine transportation.

Topics covered in naval architecture and ocean engineering

In the undergraduate naval architecture and ocean engineering course in India, students may learn mathematics, chemistry, mechanics, electrical technology, English and engineering drawing in the first semester. In the second semester, subjects like mathematics, physics, programming and data structure, engineering drawings and graphics, fluid dynamics and introduction to naval architecture may be included. The third semester could consist of subjects like mathematics, thermodynamics, basic electronics, hydrostatics and stability, and marine hydrodynamics. In the fourth semester, subjects like machine design, elements of ocean engineering, resistance and propulsion, marine construction and welding, marine structures, marine structures computations and hydrostatics and stability calculations might be taken.

Marine structures, motion and control, marine design, marine production, and marine materials could be taught in the fifth semester. In the sixth semester, marine systems, computer-aided design and production, industrial management could be taken. The seventh semester might cover subjects like industrial training, a ship design project; business fundamentals and economics, and vibration and noise. In the final semester, physical oceanography, professional ethics, automation and control theory, electives and a project might be required. Electives generally include subjects like high performance marine vehicles, port infrastructure and management, fishing vessel technology, inland water transportation, submarines and submersibles, and environmental management.

Colleges offering naval architecture and ocean engineering courses

Some colleges that offer the Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) or B.Tech (Hons) in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering are listed below:

• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
• Indian Maritime University

Programmes are subject to change, it is advisable to check directly with a school for current programme availability.

Sources

“Academic Programmes,” Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/topfiles/acad_progs.php
“B.Tech (Hons) In Ocean Engineering & Naval Architecture,” Indian Maritime University, http://imu.edu.in/images/Syllabus%20-%20OE&NA-4-07-07.pdf
“B.Tech. Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering,” Univariety, https://www.univariety.com/app/course/Career/IN/Indian-Institute-of-Technology-Madras-IIT-Madras/Marine-Engineering/BTech-Naval-Architecture-and-Ocean-Engineering/e3a943af
“Courses,” Department of Ocean Engineering, IITM Madras, http://www.oec.iitm.ac.in/naval_ocean_courses.html
“Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering,” Chalmers University of Technology, http://www.chalmers.se/en/education/programmes/masters-info/Pages/Naval-architecture-and-Ocean-Engineering.aspx
“Programs with eligibility,” Indian Maritime University, http://imu.edu.in/images/programs%20with%20eligibility-fnl.pdf