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An insight into the slamming behaviour of large high-speed catamarans through full-scale measurements

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Abstract

The slamming behaviour of a large high-speed catamaran has been investigated through the analysis of full-scale trials data. The US Navy conducted the trials in the North Sea and North Atlantic region on a 98 m wave piercer catamaran, HSV-2 Swift, designed by Revolution Design Pty Ltd and built by Incat Tasmania. For varying wave headings, vessel speeds and sea states the data records were interrogated to identify slam events. An automatic slam identification algorithm was developed, considering the measured rate of change of stress in the ship’s structure coupled with the vessel’s pitch motion. This has allowed the slam occurrence rates to be found for a range of conditions and the influence of vessel speed, wave environment and heading to be determined. The slam events have been further characterised by assessing the relative vertical velocity at impact between the vessel and the wave. Since the ship was equipped with a ride control system, its influence on the slam occurrence rates has also been assessed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the work of Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, USA in conducting the full-scale measurements, and thank them for making the data available for analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1395, Launceston, TAS, 7250, Australia

    Gunnar Jacobi & Giles Thomas

  2. University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia

    Michael R. Davis

  3. Revolution Design Pty Ltd, Derwent Park, TAS, Australia

    Gary Davidson

Authors
  1. Gunnar Jacobi
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  2. Giles Thomas
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  3. Michael R. Davis
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  4. Gary Davidson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giles Thomas.

Additional information

G. Jacobi is a visiting researcher from University of Rostock, Germany.

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Jacobi, G., Thomas, G., Davis, M.R. et al. An insight into the slamming behaviour of large high-speed catamarans through full-scale measurements. J Mar Sci Technol 19, 15–32 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00773-013-0229-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00773-013-0229-y

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