Hydroelasticity of Ships Using RANS CFD

Fluid Structure Interactions Research Group, Lloyds Register University Technical Centre A. Qurard
LR UTC, University of Southampton, UK

One of the roles of classification societies is to make sure that ships are safe to operate with an adequate structure. The ability to predict accurately the dynamic forces and stresses on a ship at sea is thus of prime interest.

Numerical Modelling
Free-slip Wall FreeSymmetry

Hydroelasticity
Hydroelasticity studies the structural response generated by the water forces Classical approach involves in-vacuo analysis to study the modal response of the structure and strip theory to assess the fluid forces :

No-slip NoWall Opening

Opening

Free-slip Wall Free-

The meshes need to capture free-surface, boundary layer and the eventual sharp corners.

Strip theory offers a mean of simplifying a complex 3D problem into several 2D simpler ones. The hydrodynamic coefficients (added mass/inertia and viscous damping) are calculated for each slice and then integrated over the whole ship length.

Hydrodynamic coefficients
The sections are forced to oscillate harmonically. To obtain the hydrodynamic coefficients, a force approach is preferred to an energy one. Fourier analysis is thus applied to the forces and moments time histories to get added mass/inertia and viscous damping:

Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes

Until now, the hydrodynamic coefficients of the slices were determined from potential flow. But Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes offers a more accurate representation of the fluid : R.A.N.S. Potential flow
Navier Stokes equation simplified by assuming : inviscid, incompressible and irrotational flow Navier Stokes equation averaged in time, assuming : Turbulence can be modelled

For sway :

11 +

i 11

A
i

t T / 2 FY (t ) e
t +T / 2

t +T / 2

i t

dt

Simple to use. Quick to solve

Non-linear, viscous phenomena can be simulated (large amplitude, roll, shallow waters)

And for roll : 66 +

i 66

t T / 2 M Z (t ) e

i t

dt

Aims
Investigate the feasibility of using a commercial RANS solver to model the dynamic loads in the frequency and time domain Validate the method against experimental results and potential flow analysis Study the symmetric and antisymmetric dynamic behaviour of different hull shapes

Obtain added mass and fluid damping for standard 2D-sections and compare to potential flow Get rigid motion of standard ships, such as S-175 Obtain structural response through the use of hydroelasticity Investigate different cases : bilge keels, catamarans and crafts in shallow water

Objectives

Acknowledgements
This project is funded by Lloyds Register of Shipping