Buckling analysis on the hull of the historic paddle steamer ‘Medway Queen’

Abstract

This study presents modelling and finite element simulation and the subsequent buckling analysis on the the historic Medway Queen paddle steamer ship which is under reconstruction now. The objective of this study is to assess buckling strength of the hull plate due to the longitudinal stress in the hull plates of the Medway Queen under various sea and live load conditions. A beam finite element analysis with structural elements is utilised to assess shear stress and bending moments of the ship structure. The model predictions for longitudinal stresses in hull plates are combined with buckling assessments on the hull plates in different, judged to be the most critical, locations along the ship's length. The structural beam model is utilised to simulate the ship's stress behaviour under hogging and sagging conditions with three different wave heights and four sets of live loads. From the longitudinal bending moment and shear force of all 24 simulation cases, extreme locations are identified and critical buckling stress on the plates close to these locations is predicted and compared with actual axial and shear stresses on the hull plate to predict the condition at which the buckling structural failure occurs.