Expertise
for the
Maritime Industry
Located in Hamburg, the private and independent Hamburg Ship Model Basin - HSVA - is a service and consulting company for clients in the maritime industry worldwide.
Our products contribute to a greener, more sustainable usage of marine environments. We help reduce emissions from shipping and we increase safety in marine transportation.
We are partners to our clients for the development of innovative, tailor-made solutions in shipping and offshore operations. For experimental investigations we are offering world class testing facilities.
Its leading role in national and international research programs makes HSVA a most competent partner in science and services in the field of maritime hydrodynamics, maritime aerodynamics and arctic technology as well as associated disciplines.
OUR FOCUS
Optimisation, Efficiency & Safety
We address any aspect in design, construction and operation of waterborne vehicles and structures that incorporate fluid mechanical considerations such as
- Resistance and Propulsion
- Ship Dynamics and Manoeuvring
- Seakeeping and Motions
- Cavitation and Hydroacoustics
- Structural Loads
- Underwater Vehicles
- Model experiments
- Numerical computations (CFD)
- Field measurements
- Monitoring and data analytics
- In-house software
Design Loads, Operational Safety & Green Energy
HSVA adresses all aspects related to air flow on ships and offshore structures, including
- Wind Loads
- Air resistance
- Exhaust gas distribution
- Air Turbulence
- Ventilation
- Numerical Assessment (RANS, DES, LES)
- Wind Tunnel Testing
- IMO Weather Criterion
- Helicopter Operations
- Wind Propulsion Systems (Flettner Rotors, Soft Sails, Wing Sails)
- Wind Turbines
Safe operation in ice covered waters
Operating one of the very few testing facilities worldwide, HSVA provides unique expertise for marine vehicles and installations in ice covered waters:
- Icebreaking Vessels
- Design Assistance
- Arctic Environmental Conditions
- Ice Class Regulations and Requirements
- Model Testing in Ice
- Ice – Structure Interaction, Ice Loads
- Ice Performance Trials
- Wave – Ice Interaction
- Ice Mechanics
- Technical Assistance for Scientific Experiments in Ice
July 2026
NewsWave 2026 01
We are happy to provide our first Newswave in 2026. Topics of this issue:
- How to Reduce Low-Frequency Underwater Radiated Noise
- Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Maritime Sector
- Reassessing the loss of MV Estonia through a statistical approach
- Hull Roughness in the Scaling Procedure
- Contra-Rotating Propulsion Devices in Model Testing
- Design Assistance for Complex Ice Breaking Vessels
- Integrating Wind-Assisted Propulsion into Multi-Purpose Vessel Design: Insights from the FlettnerFLEET Project
Enjoy reading!
February 2025
Webinar: "HSVA's Services for a Greener Shipping - Solutions for EEDI, EEXI and CII”
HSVA presents: Webinar "HSVA's Services for a Greener Shipping - Solutions for EEDI, EEXI and CII"
The…
September 2018
Newswave 2018
HSVA Assistance for Ice Performance Trials; Enhanced Experimental Technique for the Effective Determination…
Jobs @ HSVA
HSVA is one of the world leading ship model basins. As a private company operating in the wonderful city of Hamburg, Germany, HSVA is active in the field of hydrodynamic research since 1913. Besides operating a large range of experimental facilities, we are among the forerunners of CFD developments and maritime applications.
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