Evaluation of an Equivalent Design Wave Method to Define Lifetime Combined Loading Scenarios for Trimarans

Abstract

The evaluation of marine system reliability requires the definition of the most extreme loading that a vessel is expected to experience. To quantify the risk levels associated with a full ship lifetime, some decisions must be made about which vessel scenarios are worth analyzing, i.e. the worst-case vessel scenarios. The problem is further complicated when considering extreme combined loading on a novel hull form such as a trimaran. To evaluate structural compliance with given acceptance criteria many classification societies suggest defining simultaneous load combination cases by an Equivalent Design Wave (EDW) method for use in a finite element model. This paper examines whether the EDW approach defines realistic lifetime combined loading scenarios specifically for a novel hull form like a trimaran.