Service Factor Assessment of a Great Lakes Bulk Carrier Incorporating the Effects of Hydroelasticity

Abstract

This paper presents a summary of an investigation into the effects of hull flexibility when deriving an equivalent service factor for a single passage of a Great Lakes Bulk Carrier from the Canadian Great Lakes to China. induced bending moment predicted using traditional three-dimensional rigid body hydrodynamic methods is augmented due to the effects of springing and whipping by including allowances based on two-dimensional hydroelasticity predictions across a range of headings and sea states. The analysis results are correlated with full scale measurements that are available for this ship. By combining the long term "rigid body" wave-bending moment with the effects of hydroelasticity, a suitable service factor is derived for a Great Lakes Bulk Carrier traveling from the Canadian Great Lakes to China via the Suez Canal.