Numerical simulation of container ship in oblique winds to develop a wind resistance model based on statistical data

ABSTRACT The forces that wind exerts on a merchant ship, especially for a container ship that carries high stacks of cargo on board, can be very large; therefore, more accurate simulations than presently available in the literature on the aerodynamics of a container ship are necessary for a safe and efficient shipping. This research tries to demonstrate a newer level of accuracy in capturing the aerodynamic properties of a typical full-stack container ship. Simulations setup was verified against US National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) test data for the Akron airship. These are unique data that can verify the accuracy of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) prediction for pressure distributions over a three-dimensional (3D) object in nonzero wind angles. The numerical simulations of the container ship, which have been performed by ANSYS-CFX™, focus on wind angles of attack (AOAs) up to 40°, obtained from a voyage data record of a container ship throughout a rather long voyage. A regression equation for air resistance is derived within this range, and a set of voyage data for wind speed and directions is also analyzed to check the applicability of the results. Innovative features of air–sea interface modeling have been included in this report.