Numerical Investigation of Hydrodynamic Aspects of Free-running Vessels in Stern Quartering Seas

Abstract

Vessels operating in stern-quartering sea states experience unique challenges due to low encounter frequencies. While some research have investigated extreme conditions, such as surf riding and broaching, a knowledge gap exists in dealing with hydrodynamic phenomena around typical operational conditions of ships in following waves. The existing methods of investigating these scenarios tend to rely on computational fluid dynamics and/or model experiments. This study presents a reduced-fidelity, numerical time-domain simulation model designed to simulate and investigate vessel motion in such conditions. The proposed model is validated against model tests with Duisburg Test Case (DTC) and Mariner vessels. Further, the validated model was used to study the influences of several hydrodynamic parameters following sensitivity analyses using newly conducted model experiments with an operational case vessel.

Numerical Investigation of Hydrodynamic Aspects of Free-running Vessels in Stern Quartering Seas