Power Prediction and Manoeuvring Study for an Inland Class Vessel

The paper explores the propulsive power requirements and manoeuvring capabilities of a popular class of inland bulk carriers in Bangladesh. After the initial verification study, model-scale CFD simulations are performed in calm, open waters at different speeds to assess hull resistance. The resistance results are then extrapolated to full scale for calculating propulsion power requirements. Subsequently, manoeuvring simulations are performed using PMM motions to evaluate static drift, pure sway, and pure yaw scenarios to calculate manoeuvring coefficients. Following this, model-scale resistance simulations in restricted waters are performed to estimate the minimum power needed for propulsion in heavy monsoon currents based on common inland waterway dimensions in Bangladesh. Finally, full-scale simulations are performed in open water to investigate the scale effect on resistance (thus power) prediction. The study confirms that the installed power in the vessel is adequate for safe navigation within Bangladesh’s inland waters. Although model-scale CFD studies are generally unsuitable for resistance prediction, the study suggests that extrapolated results often offer conservative estimates for power prediction. In cases of resource limitation, these simulations can prove beneficial since conservative estimations somewhat ensure the vessel’s propulsion and manoeuvrability in extreme conditions.