On unstable ship motions resulting from strong non-linear coupling

In this paper, the modelling of strong parametric resonance in head seas is investigated. Non-linear equations of ship motions in waves describing the couplings between heave, roll and pitch are contemplated. A third-order mathematical model is introduced, aimed at describing strong parametric excitation associated with cyclic changes of the ship restoring characteristics. A derivative model is employed to describe the coupled restoring actions up to third order. Non-linear coupling coefficients are analytically derived in terms of hull form characteristics.The main theoretical aspects of the new model are discussed. Numerical simulations obtained from the derived third-order non-linear mathematical model are compared to experimental results, corresponding to excessive motions of the model of a transom stern fishing vessel in head seas. It is shown that this enhanced model gives very realistic results and a much better comparison with the experiments than a second-order model.     

A new concept of a hull form to improve wave response characteristics for marine construction barges

The object of the new hull form is to provide a single hull which possesses long natural periods of roll and heave and has substantially reduced motion response amplitudes in very high sea states. Model tests and preliminary estimates indicated that the new hull form can be designed for roll and heave motions nearly equivalent to those of much larger semisubmersible units.All existing conventional marine construction barges have rectangular cross section hull. The new hull form consists of a system of upper side tanks and lower side tanks added onto a rectangular cross section hull. The upper tanks and lower tanks form longitudinal troughs on the port and starboard sides. Structural grillage of any open type is to connect the upper and lower tanks at the side of the vessel. Figure 1 indicates a profile and a typical transverse section of the new hull form. The new hull comprises the concept of reduced water plane area which is turn results in low transverse metacentric height and low tons per in. immersion. The novel features of combining low GM_T and low TPI with extremely heavy damping and added mass of the entrained water characteristics result in very long natural periods of roll and heave and considerably small rolling and heaving amplitudes in high sea states. The open side shell plating on the side of the vessel functions to dissipate wave energy at the side of the vessel which would have otherwise been transmitted to the vessel and caused the vessel to respond. This paper presents the conceptual foundation and outline of the new hull form. Model test results are presented and implemented. Also presented is the design philosophy.     

An optimization approach for fairing of ship hull forms

This paper presents a numerical fairing procedure to be used at the preliminary design stage to create high-quality ship hull form geometry. The procedure is based on a variational optimization approach in which a fairness measure related to the surface curvature is the objective function to be minimized subject to a set of geometric constraints to ensure that the final form has the required geometric characteristics. The optimization variables are selected as the control points of a B-spline surface representing the initial hull form. A nonlinear direct search technique is employed to solve the problem. The methodology is applied for typical ship forms to indicate that, provided that the designer can specify appropriate design objectives and geometric constraints, the methodology can produce alternative hull forms with significantly improved fairing characteristics. The choice of the fairness objective function is shown to have a crucial effect on the quality of the hull surface. Highly nonlinear exact fairness functionals yield surfaces of high quality at the expense of high-computerized effort.     

A numerical study for effectiveness of a wake equalizing duct

A numerical study is carried out for calculating effect of the wake equalizing duct (WED) on the propulsion performance of a chemical tanker. Analysis is performed using a CFD tool based on the solution of Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equation. Computations are carried out for several arrangements of WED for a number of ship speeds. Total 56 runs are achieved, and the results are compared with each other. It can be concluded from this study that propeller characteristics and resistance of the ship are slightly affected by the presence of the WED, but an additional thrust is produced by the WED. It is also found that the maximum gain obtained by using an appropriate WED design is about 10%.     

An inverse design approach for minimising wake at propeller plane using CFD

Knowledge of wake characteristics in the stern region is important for ensuring good propeller design and performance. This work examines the utility of CFD in the analysis of flow in the case of full aft beam vessels having characteristic cut stern shape to facilitate propeller aperture. The underwater stern shape may be more complex due to the occurrence of stern appendages such as bossings, strut supports and local shape variations. To this extent, CFD offers an effective tool for both qualitative as well as quantitative assessment of the local geometry. Wake estimate is required for choice of the most favorable propeller geometry. In the present method, the analysis quantifies the effects of small changes in stern rake angles and offers an inverse design approach towards finalising the stern shape. The method consists of solving the standard k-ε turbulent model of RANS equations in cell centered finite volume multi zone grid in the flow domain. This approach has been used in estimating the velocity at the propeller plane. The results have been compared with experimentally obtained values of nominal wake. The approach suggests that CFD can provide a cost effective and quick assessment of flow. It is also an attractive means of pre-empting heterogeneous flow related problems such as vibration and noise due to unfavorable wake in the stern region.     

Full scale CFD seakeeping simulations for case study ship redesigned from V-shaped bulbous bow to X-bow hull form

Increasing propulsion efficiency, safety, comfort and operability are of the great importance, especially for small ships operating on windy sites like the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Seakeeping performance of ships and offshore structures can be analysed by different methods and the one that is becoming increasingly important is CFD RANS. The recent development of simulation techniques together with rising HPC accessibility enables performance of advanced seakeeping simulations for ships in a full scale. The paper presents CFD seakeeping analysis for a case study vessel in two variants: V-shaped bulbous bow hull form (as built) and innovative hull form (X-bow type). The study presents the influence of redesigning the ship on selected seakeeping aspects. The advanced CFD model, with the application of overset mesh technique, was described in detail. Selected numerical results were validated on the basis of experimental testing in a towing tank and showed good agreement. The approach demonstrated here of performing the CFD seakeeping simulations for the analysis of ship performance in a full scale and close to real loading conditions has direct application to the design process as well as in determination of optimal operational parameters of any ship.     

Multiple criteria optimization applied to high speed catamaran preliminary design

The demand for high-speed craft (mainly catamarans) used as passenger vessel has increased significantly in the recent years. Looking towards the future and trying to respond to the increasing requirement, high-speed crafts international market is passing through deep changes. Different types of high-speed crafts are being used for passenger transport. However, catamarans and monohulls have been the main choice not only for passenger vessel but also as ferryboat.Generally speaking, the efficient hydrodynamic hull shapes, engine improvements, and lighter hull structures using aluminum and composite materials make possible the increase in cruising speed.The high demand for catamarans are due to its proven performance in calm waters, large deck area compared to monohull crafts and higher speed efficiency using less power. Although the advantages aforementioned, the performance of catamaran vessels in wave conditions still needs to be improved.The high-speed crafts (HSC) market is demanding different HSC designs and a wide range of dimensions focusing on lower resistance and power for higher speed. Therefore, the hull resistance optimization is a key element for a high-speed hull success.In addition to that, trade-off high-speed catamaran (HSCat) design has been improved to achieve main characteristics and hull geometry. This paper presents a contribution to HSCat preliminary design phase. The HSCat preliminary design problem is raised and one solution is attained by multiple criteria optimization technique.The mathematical model was developed considering: hull arrangement (area and volume), lightweight material application (aluminum hull), hull resistance evaluation (using a slender body theory), as well as wave interference effect between hulls, calculated with 3D theory application. Goal programming optimization system was applied to solve the HSCat preliminary design.Finally this paper includes an illustrative example showing the mathematical model and the optimization solution. An HSCat passenger inland transport in Amazon area preliminary design was used as case study. The problem is presented, the main constrains analyzed and the optimum solution shown. Trade off graphs was also included to highlight the mathematical model convergence process.     

Squat effects on high speed craft in restricted waterways

The vessels considered here for the squat studies are a bulk carrier and an High Speed Craft (HSC). The bulk carrier of full form (C_B=0.81) is used for validation purpose and subsequently the numerical computations are performed for a High Speed Craft with fine hull form of C_B=0.467. A high speed ferry, with LCB and LCF quite aft of midship is considered for squat study. For a vessel speed of above 6.0 knots and for a waterway width greater than the vessel length there appears to be a sudden increase in sinkage at the stern accompanied by a large value of bow emergence. It could be seen that the speed of the vessel has a much greater influence on the sinkage and trim of the vessel than the waterway restrictions.     

Numerical study on scale effect of form factor

The scale effect of form factor is investigated via a numerical approach in this paper, where the turbulent ship flow is computed by solving the steady and incompressible Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes and continuity equations. A wall function approach is employed to bridge the near-wall and outer turbulent flow region. The numerical scheme based on a finite-volume formulation is applied to discretize the coupled governing equation. For the sake of numerical stability, accuracy and economy, an identical grid is employed to compute ship flow at different Reynolds number, where the grid is optimized for the medium Reynolds number of the investigated range. Four surface ships and two sub-bodies with notably different geometrical characteristics are chosen as the investigated cases, where double-model flow without appendages is computed. The calculated total resistance coefficient shows a decreasing tendency against Reynolds number among all studied hulls. Similar to the calculated total resistance coefficient, the calculated friction resistance coefficient decreases with the Reynolds number and varies relatively little for a given Reynolds number among different hulls. The viscous pressure resistance coefficient is less insensitive to the Reynolds number but apparently depends on hull form. Compared with the form factor calculation based on empirical friction lines, the flat-plate friction prediction based on CFD approach clearly gives smaller Re-dependent form factor, which should more realistically reflect the scale effect of form factor. The form factor exhibits a near linear and increasing dependence on Reynolds number. The numerical results show that the dependence of r_P on Reynolds number mainly governs the scale effect of form factor.     

Performance assessment of a concept propulsor: the thrust-balanced propeller

This paper presents the results of a numerical performance analysis to demonstrate the worthiness of a recently patented new concept propulsor, the so-called “thrust-balanced propeller (TBP)”. The main advantage of this unconventional propulsor is its inherent ability to reduce the unsteady effect of blade forces and moments when it is operating in a non-uniform wake flow. The propulsor comprises a pair of diametrically opposed blades that are connected to one another and mounted so as to be rotatable together through a limited angle about their spindle axis. A quasi-hydrodynamic approach is described and applied to perform the numerical analysis using a state-of-the-art lifting surface procedure for conventional propellers. Performance comparisons with a conventional fixed-pitch propeller are made for the blade forces and moments, efficiency, cavitation extents and fluctuating hull pressures. Bearing in mind the quasi-static nature of the analyses, the results present favourable performance characteristics for the thrust-balanced propeller and support the worthiness of the concept. However, the concept needs to be proved through physical model tests, which are planned to take in a cavitation tunnel.     

A nonlinear model of parametric rolling stabilization by anti-roll tanks

The present paper describes a mathematical model in which the fluid motion inside a U-tank is nonlinearly coupled to the heave, roll and pitch motions of the ship. The main purpose of the investigation is centred on the control of roll motion in the case of parametric resonance in longitudinal waves. A transom stern small vessel, known to be quite prone to parametric amplification, is employed in the study. Four tank designs are employed in order to study the influence of tank mass, tank natural frequency and tank internal damping on the control of parametric rolling at different head seas conditions. Additionally, the influence of the vertical position of the tank is also investigated. The main results are presented in the form of limits of stability, with encounter frequency and wave amplitudes as parameters. Distinct dynamical characteristics are discussed and conclusions are drawn on the relevant parameters for the efficient control of the roll amplifications in head seas.     

CFD analysis of the sensitivity of propeller bearing loads to stern appendages and propulsive configurations

The present investigation focuses on the effects of the stern appendages and the propulsion system on the hydro-loads generated by the propeller during off-design conditions, with particular emphasis on the in-plane components. Recent experimental investigations carried out by free running model tests [7], [8] and CFD analysis [5] for a modern twin screw model, highlighted that maneuvers at small drift angles and yaw rates might be as critical as the tighter ones due to complex propeller-wake interactions. Therefore, design criteria should take into account also these operative conditions, in order to reduce the effects of propeller-wake interaction phenomena that degrade the overall propulsive efficiency, induce shaft/hull structural vibration and increase noise emission. In the present study we analyze the effects of geometric and propulsive modifications with respect to the twin screw configuration studied in [5]. In particular, the effect of the centreline skeg, propeller direction of rotation and control strategies of the propulsion plant on the propeller bearing loads have been investigated from the analysis of the nominal wake in maneuvring conditions, computed by unsteady RANSE simulations coupled with a propeller model based on Blade Element Theory. The considered test cases were turning circle maneuvers with different rudder angles at F_N = 0.265.     

Seakeeping assessment of fishing vessels in conceptual design stage

The main idea of this paper is to identify functional relations between seakeeping characteristics and hull form parameters of Mediterranean fishing vessels. Multiple regression analysis is used for quantitative assessment through a computer software that is based on the SQL Server Database. The seakeeping attributes under investigation are the transfer functions of heave and pitch motions and of absolute vertical acceleration at stern, while the ship parameters influencing motion dynamics have been classified into two groups: displacement (Δ) and main dimensions (L, B, T), coefficients that define the details of the hull form (C_WP, C_VP, LCB, LCF, etc.).Four multiple regression models having different parameter combinations are here investigated and discussed, giving way to the so-called ‘Simple Model’, ‘Intermediate Model’, ‘Enhanced 1 Model’ and ‘Enhanced 2 Model’. The obtained results are more than satisfactory for seakeeping predictions during the conceptual design stage.     

Hydrodynamic assessment of planing hulls using overset grids

In conjunction with high performance computers, recent developments in computational science paved the path to more accurate representation of body motions inside fluids. Small motions inside the flow can be computationally approximated by using rigid body motion but it is incapable of accurately predicting the large motions of a planing vessel. The implementation of overset grid has made it possible to better approximate the complex fluid-structure interaction problem of the planing regime. The focus of this study was to evaluate the opportunity of using an overset grid system to numerically solve the flow around a planing hull and to understand the planing regime with this invaluable tool. It was shown in this study that the overset grid better captures the large motions of the planing hull at high Froude numbers. Then, the results obtained by overset grid were used to calculate the resistance components of a planing hull in a wide Froude number range. The resistance components were discussed with respect to values generated by Savitsky approach. Using the benefits that the computational science brings, the flow was visualized to explain some underlying physics relevant to the planing regime.     

艏艉线型优化对船舶阻力性能的影响

为提高母型船阻力性能,以船体阻力性能为优化对象,基于改造母型船法,研究船舶球鼻艏以及船尾线型的改变对船舶阻力性能的影响.采用高度集成化的Tribon系统、可视化绘图软件Auto CAD及CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics)通用前处理软件ICEM联合建模的方法来建立船体模型.通过模拟计算结果与实验值的对比分析,验证CFD技术在船舶阻力性能预报中的合理性和有效性.通过对比3种不同球鼻艏时的船体阻力得知:从阻力性能方面考虑,对于低速丰满型船舶选用普通型球鼻艏以及中高速船舶采用上翘型球鼻艏均可以获取较好地减阻效果.同时比较不同航速下尾部线型对船体总阻力的影响表明,选优后的方形尾在相同的航速下阻力低、消耗的功率小、形状效应小、黏压阻力和摩擦阻力也相对较小.     

Energy conservation during grounding with rigid slopes

In this paper a numerical approach to the grounding problem takes place. It aims to show the contribution of the energy dissipated in the structure due to elasto-plastic deformation. The analytical methods developed until now, neglect this amount of energy, since they are simulating the vessel as a rigid beam. A tanker vessel is modelled with the Finite Element Package ABAQUS and energy conservation during a grounding scenario on rigid slope takes place. The results are presented both analytically and numerically and comparison in the energy quantities is shown and discussed.     

Seakeeping standard series for oblique seas (a synopsis)

The seakeeping performance in oblique seas for a series of 72 cruiser-stern hull forms has been evaluated analytically and is presented in a systematic way. The hull form series have been created by Loukakis and Chryssostomidis (1975) by extending the principal characteristics of the Series 60 to cover usual shipbuilding practice. In that work, however, only the seakeeping performance in head seas was presented. Recently, the seakeeping performance of the Extended Series 60 was re-evaluated for both head seas and oblique seas. The complete results are presented in tabular and graphical form as a function of the principal characteristics of the ship, the Froude number (including Fn=0, missing in the original series), the non-dimensional modal wave period and the heading angle in a separate NTUA report (Grigoropoulos et al., 1994). In the present paper, the results for one case are given in tabular form accompanied by graphical representation. They include: heave, pitch, bending moment amidships, added resistance, absolute vertical acceleration and relative vertical motion at the bow and the stern regions and relative vertical velocity at stations 2 and 4 where slamming is likely to occur.     

Influence of non-linearities on the limits of stability of ships rolling in head seas

The present paper describes an investigation on parametric resonance in head seas in which a new third-order coupled mathematical model is considered. The restored modes of heave, roll and pitch are contemplated. The discussion is illustrated for the case of a transom stern fishing vessel at different speeds. It is pointed out that numerical simulations employing the new model are successfully compared to experimental results previously obtained for the vessel.Considering that analyticity is an important tool when handling complex stability issues, some theoretical dynamic characteristics of the equations are discussed. By means of the analysis of the coupled linear variational equation derived from an extended third-order model, the appearance of super-harmonics and increased rigidity proportional to wave amplitude squared due to third-order terms is demonstrated.In the present paper, an important tool is explored, that is the analysis of the limits of stability obtained from the new model. Limits of stability are a well-known and practical way of looking into the problem of parametric resonance. New limits of stability are derived and compared to the more conventional Strut diagram. Dynamic characteristics associated with the new limits of stability are discussed. The influence of different parameters is investigated, including vessel speed, damping and tuning. Consistent and revealing results are obtained through the analysis of the new limits of stability for different speeds and damping.     

Probabilistic modeling of ship powering performance using full-scale operational data

The energy efficiency of ocean-going vessels can be increased through various operational considerations, such as improved cargo arrangements and weather routing. The first step toward the goal of maximizing the energy efficiency is to analyze how the ship's powering performance changes under different operational settings and weather conditions. However, existing analytical models and empirical methods have limitations in reliably estimating the powering performance of full-scale ships in real operating conditions. In this study, machine learning techniques are employed to estimate the powering performance of a full-scale ship by constructing regression models using the ship's operational data. In order to minimize the risk of overfitting in the regression process, domain knowledge based on physical principles is combined into the regression models. Also, the uncertainty of the estimated performance is evaluated with consideration of the environmental uncertainties. The obtained regression models can be used to predict the ship speed and engine power under different operational settings and weather conditions.