CFD-based empirical formulae for squat prediction of modern container ships

ABSTRACT An extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) based study has been undertaken to develop a set of empirical formulae for squat prediction suitable for modern container ships in laterally-unrestricted shallow water. Previous work has quantified the effect of various ship principal particulars on midship sinkage and trim. The current study expands on the previous work to provide further quantifications for ship speed and water depth. Multiple linear regression analysis is then performed on the dataset to produce empirical equations for sinkage and trim. Predictions using the new set of formulae correlate well with the original dataset as well as new datasets which are within the limits of applicability. Predictions using the new formulae tend to be more accurate than existing empirical methods for the cases tested. Hence, the new set of formulae is a useful tool to provide reliable, rapid squat assessment and is suitable for implementation into real-time ship-handling simulator mathematical models.