Towed Gear Optimisation, application to trawls

IFREMER has been developing and commercialising scientific software to help the conception and optimisation of any kind of trawl. This software named DynamiT makes available a "virtual flume tank" where tests can be achieved without any constraint due to scale effects or other limitation when physically testing out. DynamiT has been used numbers of times to simulate and optimise trawls by different net makers and by IFREMER. The software is based on the resolution of the mechanics (structure and hydrodynamic) equations of a model describing the actual trawl and its rigging. The "user friendly" interface allows the user to iterate "modification and observations" cycles to reach an optimised state of the fishing gear. The process can be used to reduce the hydrodynamic drag of the trawl, consequently to reduce the fuel consumption.