Prediction of Unsteady Pressure Distribution in Irregular Waves Using Locally Measured Pressure Data and Convolution Integral

In studies evaluating ship performances running in actual seas, shaft powers, ship motions, strains, and the like are usually used. In addition to obtaining these physical quantities, determining the pressure distribution on hulls would be useful for rational ship design. However, the technique for measuring pressure distribution on a ship’s hull in the actual sea has not been established. Therefore, we propose a method to obtain pressure distribution through the convolution integral by using the pressure measured at only one point. The estimated pressure distribution is validated in comparison with measured experimental values. The estimated pressure is discussed in diffraction and free-motion tests. The effectiveness of the proposed method is further validated by integrating the estimated pressures on the hull surface. Then, the obtained forces or motions estimated from the forces are compared with directly measured values.