A Hybrid Numerical Framework for Simulation of Ships Maneuvering in Waves

The maneuvering characteristics of a surface ship play a critical role in the safety of navigation both in port and in an open seaway, and are vital to the overall operational ability of the ship. The vast majority of maneuvering analyses for ships have been performed under the assumption of calm water, yet ships mostly operate in waves. Understanding of maneuvering in waves is limited by the complexity of the problem and the challenges of performing physical experiments and numerical simulations. In this work, a new fast-running method that allows for the study of maneuvering in waves is formulated. The newly formulated approach is categorized as a “hybrid method,” taking its name from the multiple numerical methods and force models used to predict the total hydrodynamic force acting on the vessel maneuvering in waves. The framework presented here uses a combination of Computational Fluid Dynamics, a linear time-domain boundary element method, and a propeller-force model for efficient computation of the total hydrodynamic force.