A comprehensive framework to adress ship underwater radiated noise: From Bureau Veritas class notation to validations of numerical prediction tools

The European Union within the MSFD and associated TSG Noise has assigned the anthropogenic noise from shipping as one of the contributors to a downgrading of the environmental status during the last few years. The assessment through mitigation measures would have to be proposed by 2016 and put in force by 2020. Therefore, it is vitally important for the ship industry and regulatory bodies to get measurement procedures and engineering tools enabling the correct estimation of underwater noise radiated by vessels. Some international standard have already been developed for civil applications. However, the uncertainty associated to the measurement procedure and some topics are not yet addressed, like measurements in shallow waters. In this regard, the European Research project AQUO set as one of its targets the development of a new standard for underwater noise measurements adapted to both, shallow and deep waters, emphasizing the assessment of the uncertainties. Based on the worldwide collaboration agreement signed by BV and TSI, AQUO's procedure has been largely adopted by Bureau Veritas in its new rule note (NR 614) "Underwater Radiated Noise". On top of that, underwater numerical predictions have revealed promising results. The full scale measurements on a research vessel and its correlation with the numerical models, has defined the current status in the underwater noise prediction field as well as the identification of next steps to optimize the tools. This paper highlights the most important milestones justifying this new European standard as well as how the prediction tools can be used inside a comprehensive noise management methodology to get a pragmatic and more efficient approach to build quiet vessels.