Experimental study on the influence of a T-foil and bulbous bow on the resistance and motion in regular head waves of trimarans

Abstract

This study proposes a novel approach for reducing the total resistance and mitigating motion in regular head waves of trimarans. Instead of the traditional method of optimising the side hull layout, we investigated the effects of a T-foil and bulbous bow configuration on the trimaran's performance. Through model tests, we studied the impact of T-foils with various aspect ratios and their combination with a bulbous bow on the motion in regular head waves of a trimaran. We observed that the T-foils can reduce the resistance and mitigate the motion of trimarans in regular waves. This effect is more pronounced at high speeds than at low speeds. T-foils with the same projected areas but different aspect ratios have a similar influence on the motion of the trimaran; however, those with large aspect ratios are more effective in reducing resistance. Furthermore, the combination of a T-foil and bulbous bow can simultaneously reduce the total resistance and mitigate the motion in regular head waves of the trimaran. The configuration with a T-foil with a large aspect ratio is particularly effective in mitigating the heave and pitch motions and reducing the total resistance to waves. This study provides a new approach to enhancing the hydrodynamic performance of trimarans.