Finite-volume simulation of flows about a ship in maneuvering motion

Abstract

A finite-volume method of computing the viscous flow field about a ship in maneuvering motion was developed. The time-dependent Navier-Stokes equation discretized in the generalized boundary-fitted curvilinear coordinate system is solved numerically. A third-order upwind differencing scheme, a marker and cell (MAC)-type explicit time marching solution algorithm and a simplified subgrid scale (SGS) turbulence model are adopted. The simulation method is formulated, including the movement of a computational grid fitted to the body boundary that allows computation of the flow field around a body under unsteady motion.

To estimate the maneuvering ability of a ship, the accurate prediction of the hydrodynamic forces and moments of the hull is important. Therefore, experimental methods of finding the hydrodynamic forces of a ship in maneuvering motion, such as the oblique towing test, the circular motion test (CMT) and planar motion mechanism (PMM) test, were established. Numerical simulation methods for those captive model experiments were developed introducing computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

First, numerical methods for steady oblique tow and steady turn simulation were developed and then extended to unsteady forced motion. Simulations were conducted about several realistic hulls, and the results were verified by comparisons with measured results obtained in model experiments. Hydrodynamic forces and the moment, the longitudinal distribution of the hydrodynamic lateral force, and the pressure distribution on the hull surface showed good agreement.