Comparing Trimaran Small Waterplane Area Center Hull (TriSWACH), Monohull, and Trimaran Hullforms: Some Initial Results

Abstract

Alternative hullforms such as multihulls may allow small vessels to deliver levels of performance normally associated with a far larger and more costly monohull vessel. This article describes a research program on alternative hullforms being undertaken by a consortium of six universities and academic institutions. As well as reviewing the current research program, this article discusses in detail the contribution being made by University College London (UCL): tools for undertaking the comparison and exploration of the monohull, trimaran, and Trimaran Small Waterplane Area Center Hull (TriSWACH) alternatives. These tools combine the modeling and analysis capabilities of an existing naval architecture design package with a varied range of search and optimization techniques to enable the exploration of alternative ship design solutions. This article presents the initial results obtained from tools that are currently under development at UCL. Such tools can be applied to identify and explore key topics related to the trimaran and TriSWACH hullforms when compared with a baseline monohull configuration. The trimaran hullform has significant potential for small fast combatants as demonstrated by the U.S. Navy's LCS program. The TriSWACH hullform (with a small waterplane area centerhull stabilized by two outriggers) is of interest because it offers the potential for improved seakeeping performance.