Internship: Design optimisation FRISC

Experience the best of both worlds with our internship program spanning Sweden and the Netherlands. Spend half of your internship collaborating with Solico Engineering in the Netherlands, and the other half at Petestep in Sweden.

Introduction

The FRISC (Fast Raiding Interception and Special Forces Craft) is a high speed RHIB. They are aimed to be widely used; from drugs- and terrorism prevention to river operations. Most of the 52 units are in use by the Dutch Navy, but there are some available to other Governmental Forces in The Netherlands.  

The vessel is typically 12 meter long, 3.3 meter wide and reaches speeds of up to 40-45 kts. From 2024, the vessel is being replaced with the FFI (Future Fast Interceptor). One of the reasons for replacement is that the FRISC is known for extremely high vertical accelerations, leading to physical challenges of the crew on board.

Background

Solico Engineering serves the Ministry of Defence for many years with composite engineering- and development. Aside from Defence, Solico Engineering develops a lot of small craft for the Commercial market. In the Commercial market, Solico has encountered Petestep frequently, and it is concluded that Petestep and Solico Engineering often share clients.
Typically, Solico Engineering is pushed to lightweight a structure, as this improves speed, range and performance. However, a light boat also sees higher G-forces, so more discomfort.

Petestep is a Swedish hull development company. Their patented technology focusses on diagonally placed “deflectors”, which redirect the spray water from the hull down- and aft-ward. The technology improves performance and comfort. Depending on the design target, these benefits can be tailored to focus on improving top speed-, or range increase, or decreasing of vertical accelerations substantially.

Through this internship, a conceptual design will be generated where the benefits of Petestep and the benefits of Solico Engineering will be utilised. To do so, an existing structural design, such as the FRISC will be (conceptually) lightweighted, and then fitted with a Petestep hull shape, to predict speed-, range- and vertical accelerations.

Approach

The exact approach is to be developed and discussed, but below could be used as a proposal:
  1) Set the Basis of Design of the existing FRISC.
  2) Generate an estimated “lightweight-design” of the current FRISC, estimating potential weight saving. Internship support provided by Solico Engineering.
  3) Generate a hull shape, matching the lightweight structure. This part of the internship is supported by Petestep (remotely, or on-site Sweden)
  4) Reporting (dis-) advantages, such as weightloss, speed, range, accelerations, etc.

Company

Solico Engineering, The Netherlands:
Founded over 30 years ago, Solico Engineering is amongst the largest independent composite structural engineering companies globally, and proudly supports market leading composites manufacturers across a broad spectrum of Maritime, Defence, Civil & Architecture and Industrial markets. Always independent, and focused on smart, fit for purpose design, we commit to add value to every project we engineer.
More at www.solico.nl 

Petestep, Sweden:
Founded in 2008, Petestep has patented their specific hull design, and has full scale tested over 250 yachts, and driven around 100 different prototype versions. 
More at www.petestep.com