Numerical analysis of wet-deck slamming characteristics for trimaran section with different main-hull profiles

Abstract

Wet-deck slamming affects the structural integrity of trimarans sailing under severe sea conditions. In this study, a Cartesian-grid computational fluid dynamics code is adopted to simulate the water-entry process of a trimaran cross-section. The numerical simulation results of the wet-deck slamming pressure and evolution of the free surface agree well with the experimental results. The spatial distribution of the wet-deck slamming pressure and the process by which the slamming pressure increases to its maximum are analyzed via simulation. Simultaneously, the wet-deck slamming characteristics are compared with three different main-hull profiles. We found that the occurred of the flow separation is related to the bilge curvature of the trimaran, which makes the slamming pressure near the main hull smaller than the other positions on wet deck. Moreover, the dimensionless peak slamming pressure on wet deck is less affected by the main-hull profile, while the time required for slamming pressure rise to its maximum is longest for the main-hull profile with smallest bilge curvature. These results can provide a better understanding of the relationship between the main-hull profile and the wet-deck slamming characteristics, which may be considered in future design for the trimaran section.