Comparative Study on Predicting Ship Maneuvering in Waves Using a Quasi-Steady Method and a Time Domain Approach

Numerical prediction of ship maneuvering in waves was considered in this article. The wave drift loads, computed using the potential flow theory, were added into the mathematical modeling group (MMG) equations to account for the effect of waves on the ship maneuvering. Two numerical methods were tested for dealing with the coupled maneuvering-seakeeping problem, namely a time domain approach and a quasi-steady method. For the former approach, a time domain seakeeping computation was conducted that parallels to the maneuvering simulation. For the later one, it is assumed that at each time of the maneuvering process, the wave-ship interaction is in a time harmonic status and, therefore, the wave drift loads could be evaluated using a frequency domain computation. Turning maneuvers of the S-175 container ship in regular waves were numerically tested. The results of the quasi-steady method and the time domain approach show good agreements, which proved the validity of the quasi-steady assumption. The wave drift loads during the turning process were also presented, demonstrating the significant effect of the added resistance on the maneuvering prediction, in contrast to the less remarkable effects of the lateral wave drift force and the wave drift yaw moment. Ship maneuverability is typically predicted under calm water condition. This provides valuable information at the ship design stage. However, an actual seagoing ship usually maneuvers in waves. To reliably assess a ship’s navigation safety and total performance in a seaway, it is deemed important to understand the maneuvering behavior of a ship in waves. Indeed, ship maneuverability in waves has been increasingly investigated in recent years. Although the physical experiment is still regarded as the most reliable way to investigate ship maneuverability in waves, there are more and more studies providing practical mathematical models of ship maneuvering prediction. Generally, a mathematical model that is suitable for investigating the maneuvering of a ship in waves has to encapsulate the traditional theories of calm water maneuvering and forward-speed seakeeping.