Experimental parametric study on hydroelastic behaviour of a 15000-TEU container ship based on segmented ship model

Abstract

ABSTRACT Large-scale ships with high elasticity and low natural frequency, behave high dynamic response amplitude under impulsive wave loads (whipping) and short period waves (springing), which could result in serious ultimate loads and fatigue damage. The segmented model test is a more powerful approach for the ship hydroelastic analysis compared with ship seakeeping test. However, the effect of some test parameters on the hydroelastic responses is still not a clear statement. Therefore, the number of segments, propulsion mode and backbone form are chosen for the parametric study on ship hydroelastic behaviour. A three-dimensional (3-D) nonlinear time-domain hydroelastic method is developed, in which the nonlinearity of instantaneous wetted surface and slamming force are considered. Through the analysis of natural frequencies and vertical bending moments (VBM), the impact on hydroelastic behaviour is discussed. Results show that self-propelling models with variable cross-section backbones are more suitable and reliable in studying nonlinear hydroelastic behaviour.