Ship Response Research Articles

Modelling Sea-Surface Wave Motion and Ship Response Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Finite Element Analysis

The response of a ship or other vessel to surface sea waves, including extreme waves, may compromise crew and vessel safety and long-term operational capability. Herein, a novel high-fidelity numerical time-dependent simulation approach is presented using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) for modelling sea waves coupled with Finite Element Analysis for modelling vessel structural response under wave loading conditions. The results are compared with physical scale model wave tank test results. Good agreement was obtained for heave and pitch motions and vertical bending moments for various forward (head) speeds in regular head waves, heave and pitch motions, and vertical bending moments. High computational demands can be met by the increasing availability of computation power. Ongoing research is outlined. The implications for the design of vessels such as ships and for through-life assessment are discussed.

A Novel Detection Transformer Framework for Ship Detection in Synthetic Aperture Radar Imagery Using Advanced Feature Fusion and Polarimetric Techniques

Ship detection in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery faces significant challenges due to the limitations of traditional methods, such as convolutional neural network (CNN) and anchor-based matching approaches, which struggle with accurately detecting smaller targets as well as adapting to varying environmental conditions. These methods, relying on either intensity values or single-target characteristics, often fail to enhance the signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR) and are prone to false detections due to environmental factors. To address these issues, a novel framework is introduced that leverages the detection transformer (DETR) model along with advanced feature fusion techniques to enhance ship detection. This feature enhancement DETR (FEDETR) module manages clutter and improves feature extraction through preprocessing techniques such as filtering, denoising, and applying maximum and median pooling with various kernel sizes. Furthermore, it combines metrics like the line spread function (LSF), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and F1 score to predict optimal pooling configurations and thus enhance edge sharpness, image fidelity, and detection accuracy. Complementing this, the weighted feature fusion (WFF) module integrates polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) methods such as Pauli decomposition, coherence matrix analysis, and feature volume and helix scattering (Fvh) components decomposition, along with FEDETR attention maps, to provide detailed radar scattering insights that enhance ship response characterization. Finally, by integrating wave polarization properties, the ability to distinguish and characterize targets is augmented, thereby improving SCR and facilitating the detection of weakly scattered targets in SAR imagery. Overall, this new framework significantly boosts DETR’s performance, offering a robust solution for maritime surveillance and security.

Accuracy verification of the 2D spectral AIS method by the hull monitoring data

Accuracy validation of the 2D spectral AIS method (AIS method using two-dimensional wave spectrum; 2D-AIS method) using hull monitoring data of a large ore carrier is discussed. The AIS method predicts the response of actual ships using AIS-based ship position data, hindcast wave data, and response characteristics data. The conventional AIS method uses representative parameters(H, T, θ) from wave spectrum modeling. The modeling involves many uncertainties. By using the 2D wave spectrum as it is, the effect of uncertainties associated with wave spectrum modeling is investigated. Compared to the analysis of the monitoring data conducted in this study, it was found that the 2D-AIS method improves the accuracy to about 15 %, while the conventional AIS method shows an error of up to about 35 % compared to the actual measurements in the long-term maximum expected values. This enhancement is attributed to the inability of the modeled wave spectrum to accurately represent the two-peak wave spectrum observed in extreme sea states, leading to a deficiency in reproducing wave frequency components corresponding to peak frequencies of the response. The findings underscore the effectiveness of the 2D-AIS method in refining long-term hull stress estimations, thus offering valuable insights for enhancing the safety and performance of hull structures.

Prediction for Global Whipping Responses of a Large Cruise Ship Under Unprecedented Sea Conditions Using an LSTM-Based Encoder–Decoder Model

Abstract Global whipping responses contribute to a significant increase in vertical bending moments (VBM), making their accurate prediction crucial for ship safety. In this study, a long short-term memory (LSTM)-based encoder–decoder model is established to predict the whipping responses under varying sea states. The model is trained on a comprehensive dataset, which includes motion data and VBM history of a cruise ship under various sea conditions. This dataset is established via numerical simulation, ensuring a wide range of scenarios for the model to learn from. The efficacy of the LSTM encoder–decoder model in capturing global whipping responses is initially verified under a single sea condition case. This step confirms the model's ability to accurately predict vertical bending moments under known conditions. Subsequently, the model's performance under unprecedented sea conditions is examined. Given that the distribution of training data significantly influences the model's performance and the data from diverse sea conditions typically exhibit distinct data distribution, a mixed data training strategy is employed during the training process in this scenario. The results indicate that the LSTM encoder–decoder model effectively captures whipping responses. Furthermore, the mixed data training strategy significantly improves the model's prediction accuracy for global whipping responses under unprecedented sea conditions.

Nonlinear similarity characterisation and validation of dynamic response of ship stiffened plate structure under explosion load impacts

The similarity test of ship stiffened plate structures under underwater explosions is a cost-effective and efficient method to evaluate the vitality of ships and guide the design of their shock resistance. This study focuses on the nonlinear impact response model tests of ship stiffened plate structures and their similarity laws with actual ships. The vertical motion of the ship stiffened plate structure is characterized by the Hurst index, and an equivalent relationship between the Hurst index of the model and the prototype is derived from classical similarity law. Based on the Hurst index, a similarity transformation relationship between the strain signals of the model and prototype is established. To verify the conclusions, similarity experiments of underwater explosions were conducted on both the model and the prototype. The original signals were grouped by the natural vibration period to determine the variation of the Hurst index over time. The model experiment strain signals for each natural vibration period were converted and compared with the prototype experiment results to verify the method's effectiveness. Simultaneously, the Hurst index of the stiffened plate structure under explosive shock load and its similarity transformation relationship with the prototype were simulated and analyzed. This provides theoretical and technical support for conducting analogous nonlinear response experiments for ship underwater explosions.

Experimental and numerical investigation on the hydroelastic response of barge and KVLCC2 ship

In this paper, the hydroelasticity of two segmented ship models (Barge and KVLCC2) is investigated by experimental and numerical methods. A two-way Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) coupled method is adopted and further validated its accuracy against experimental results. The current approach emphasizes the overall convergence between two solvers, maintaining a strongly coupled manner to comprehensively address the fluid-structure interaction phenomenon, including the added mass effect. A series of experiments of a segmented Barge and KVLCC2 under various wave conditions were firstly conducted. The motions of the models are measured and the displacement Response Amplitude Operators (RAOs) are calculated. The CFD-FEA coupled method is demonstrated in agreement with experimental results by comparing the numerical prediction with the tank test results in terms of motion, affirming the validity and robustness. Finally, the hydroelastic response is discussed and investigated.

Numerical Simulation of Ship-added Resistance Based on a Numerical Wave Tank

The wave resistance increase of a ship during its actual voyage can affect its speed and safety. To design ships with excellent sailing performance, it is necessary to accurately predict the wave resistance increase of a ship in waves, as well as the motion response and wave resistance prediction of ships in waves, which involves complex hydrodynamic problems. This paper first establishes a physical model of the KCS vessel, then utilizes the numerical wave tank platform independently developed by our university. Based on viscous flow theory, it calculates the resistance of the KCS under calm water conditions. Using three-dimensional potential flow methods and spectral analysis, it computes the wave-induced resistance values for the KCS under six-degree sea states, analyzes the wave-induced resistance performance of the KCS, and ultimately, based on the calculation results of calm water resistance and wave-induced resistance combined with propeller efficiency parameters, calculates the effective power of the engine.

Difference in ship response in waves between strip and 3D methods based on integrated formulation

Numerous benchmark calculations have been performed on ship motions and loads in waves. However, there are usually significant differences between codes, even for programs based on the same theory, and it is often extremely difficult to identify the factors that cause such differences. In this paper, the authors present a formulation of the strip method and 3D method in such a way that the common parts between the two are emphasized, and then develop an integrated program that can handle the two methods (STFM and zero-speed Green's function method) based on this formulation. This approach enables the extraction of the differences in the ship response between the two methods caused by the pure difference in the hydrodynamic force of them, i.e., the 3D effect. A comparison using tank tests under a wide range of conditions is performed to clarify the estimation accuracy of the two methods and the tendency of the 3D effect for ship motion, hull-girder sectional force, and hydrodynamic pressure for a container ship and a VLCC.

A multiparameter simulation-driven analysis of ship response when turning concerning a required number of irregular wave realizations

The growing implementation of Decision Support Systems on modern ships, digital-twin technology, and the introduction of autonomous vessels cause the marine industry to seek accurate modeling of vessel response. Despite the contemporary 6DOF models can be used to predict ship motions in irregular waves, the impact of their stochastic realization is usually neglected and remains under-investigated. Especially in the case of turning, differences arising from the stochastic representation of the waves may result in excessive ship motions or even stability failure during maneuver execution. Therefore, in this study, statistical distributions of maximum amplitudes of roll, pitch, and lateral acceleration calculated in two representative locations on board a passenger vessel were analyzed concerning stochastic wave realization and existing extremes. The research utilized 6DOF simulation data and numerous realizations of the irregular wave with random phases of its components. Furthermore, the required number of wave realizations allowing for capturing the actual ranges of ship response at an assumed confidence level has been determined and analyzed. Ultimately, the results were compared in the safety-critical cases concerning various wave and operational conditions. The outcome of this study may be found useful by all parties involved in developing maritime autonomous systems and modeling ship motions.

Ship grounding simulation with different rock shapes and its verification

ABSTRACT Ship grounding often results in damage to the hull, which poses a threat to structural integrity, ship stability, and human life. To reduce the consequences from ship grounding accidents, it is necessary to investigate the damage mechanism and motion responses of ship grounding. The research’s objective is to carry out experimental validation and perform a series of numerical investigations on the ship dynamic responses in grounding. A simulation based on the Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian(CEL) method was carried out to reproduce a grounding test case conducted in a water tank. It was demonstrated that the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Then, based on the verified simulation technology, the influences of rock shapes and friction on the grounding damage and motion responses of ships were investigated and discussed. The dynamic response analysis of ships in different grounding scenarios can provide a reference for grounding damage prediction.

Numerical Study on Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Two Ships Advancing in Parallel for Underway Replenishment of Luxury Cruise Ships

For a long time, seakeeping data has been the basis for judging ship amenities and seaworthiness. Luxury cruise ships, as large passenger ships, put forward higher requirements for seakeeping. To analyze the seakeeping response of luxury cruise ships, AQWA is used to build a model and conduct numerical simulations. The hydrodynamic characteristics of cruise ships and replenishment tankers with different typical sea conditions, various ship spacing and wave directions are studied. According to the results, when two ships are advancing in parallel, the cruise ship should pay attention to the movement of the replenishment tanker while considering its seakeeping to avoid collision danger. The conclusions can avoid dangerous situations in the replenishment and improve the safety of the replenishment operation.

Numerical Investigation of Motion Response of the Tanker at Varying Vertical Center of Gravities

<i>The vertical center of gravity (VCG) has a significant impact on the roll motion response of a surface ship, particularly oil tankers based on the oil level in the tanker after discharging oil at several stations or positional changes, such as changes in the superstructure and deck structure. This study examined the motion response of the Korea very large crude carrier 2 (KVLCC2) at various VCGs, especially roll motion when the VCG changed. The potential theory in the Ansys AQWA program was used as a numerical simulation method to calculate the motion response. On the other hand, the calculations obtained through potential theory overestimated the roll amplitudes during resonance and lacked precision. Therefore, roll damping is a necessary parameter that accounts for the viscosity effect by performing an experimental roll decay. The roll decay test estimated the roll damping coefficients for various VCGs using Froude’s method. The motion response of the ship in regular waves was evaluated for various VCGs using the estimated roll-damping coefficients. In addition, the reliability of the numerical simulation in motion response was verified with those of the experiment method reported elsewhere. The simulation results showed that the responses of the surge, sway, heave, pitch, and yaw motion were not affected by changing the VCG, but the natural frequency and magnitude of the peak value of the roll motion response varied with the VCG.</i>

Wave-assisted propulsion: An experimental study on traveling ships

A submerged hydrofoil interacting with incoming waves produces combined heaving and pitching motion, facilitating the conversion of wave energy into thrust. When the foil is attached to the ship hull, the generated “green” power from wave energy could assist the ship's propulsion system and significantly reduce fuel costs. This study experimentally assesses thrust generation from a fixed mid-hull foil by comparing towing force at different wave and traveling speeds. The optimal mid-hull foil demonstrates a fuel cost reduction ranging from 10.3% to 20.4% at diverse traveling speeds and wave parameters. Thrust generation increases at higher traveling speeds. Additionally, this study mathematically describes the hydrofoil motion with an outer pivot, which better suits the ship–foil model. This study then introduces a Strouhal number (StA,S) specifically for the ship–foil model, considering ship travel, ship response, and the hydrofoil's rotation around its outer pivot.

CFD validation and analysis of turning maneuvers of a surface combatant in regular waves

A Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis of the maneuvering in waves is described for the Office of Naval Research Tumblehome surface combatant. The investigation entails simulations of turning maneuvers in regular waves for three different wave lengths including comparison to experiments for validation purposes. The performance of a body force propeller model is evaluated against the transient modelling of an actual propeller with full spatial and temporal discretization. The results of both propeller models followed the general trend observed in the model test. Time-averaged responses such as surge and sway velocity, yaw rate, and drift angle are over-predicted by the body force propeller model, resulting in smaller turning circles with under-prediction of maneuvering characteristics such as advance and tactical diameter. However, fluctuation amplitudes of ship responses were not noticeably affected by the choice of the propeller model, and the predicted values were comparable to the model tests.

Nonlinear Transient Switching Filter for Automatic Buffer Window Adjustment in Short-term Ship Response Prediction

Online ship response prediction is one of the emerging interests in seakeeping due to the extensive range of applications for autonomous control of marine vehicles. In particular, the short-term prediction and online updates of ship response have received special attention. Despite a body of studies on different predictors, the asymptotic properties of estimators given the time series sample size have not been addressed specifically, so the predictors only have been analyzed for a fixed observation window regardless of the intrinsic statistical characteristics in the time series. To this end, the current research has explored the performance of two nonlinear and linear based regressors: support vector regression (SVR) and the adaptive Seasonal Auto-Regressive and Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model on the time series data obtained from a simulated semisubmersible platform in different sea states. The experiment demonstrated that the prediction accuracy depends significantly on the observation window length statistical properties with respect to the ship responses in various wave conditions. Therefore, an innovative filter using the weighted average of a proposed function has been introduced to adaptively adjust the buffer window based on the signal statistical characteristics. The encouraging outcomes underscore that the introduced filter not only holds the potential to enhance various predictors employed in autonomous onboard decision-making, guidance, and stabilization systems for both existing and forthcoming intelligent onboard control systems but also offers an avenue to bolster the autonomy of dynamic systems. More precisely, the proposed mechanism could extend its applicability to enhance cognitive systems and enable deterministic decision-making in diverse fields beyond the scope of present contribution.

Bispectral analysis and simulation modeling of quadratic nonlinear system with specific turbulent-fluctuation-excitation-response types

There exists a kind of quadratic nonlinear system with specific type of turbulent fluctuation excitation in nature, which belongs to a special non-Gaussian input signal system. Its characteristic is that the input signal spectrum is generated by turbulent fluctuations, and the power spectrum distribution of this turbulence fluctuation signal is close to Gaussian distribution. Starting with the work of Choi et al. (<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-460X(85)90370-0">1985 <i>J. Sound Vib</i><i>.</i> <b>99</b> 309</ext-link>) and Kim et al. [<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1145286">1987 <i>IEEE J. Ocean. Eng.</i> <b>OE-12</b> 568</ext-link>), we extend the simulation of a specific turbulent fluctuation excited response-type quadratic nonlinear system represented by the wave excited mooring ship response, and fully develop the internal development of turbulence based on bispectral analysis technology. We also extend the simulation system and conduct systematic modeling analysis. The complete iterative method [<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1402-4896/ab725f">2020 <i>Phys. Scr.</i> <b>95</b> 055202</ext-link>] is used to solve the model, and calculate the linear transfer function and quadratic nonlinear transfer function. The comparison of simulation and modeling results with the real systems and their models confirms the correctness of the results from system simulation, system modeling, and model solving. The results obtained are all in line with expectations. The coherence analysis shows that the quadratic coherence of the random wave-ship swaying system is much greater than the linear coherence, but the linear coherence of the fully developed turbulence is greater for the near Gaussian input type. The reverse computation verification or comparison with real systems indicates that the turbulence simulation and system modeling method in this work have good accuracy and high efficiency in solving algorithms, and the research results can be effectively applied to the model description and system analysis of the quadratic nonlinear systems related to specific turbulent fluctuation excitation response.

Linear Longitudinal Strength Analysis of a Multipurpose Cargo Ship under Combined Bending and Torsional Load

Cargo ships with wide hatches usually have thin walls and limited torsional rigidity. Consequently, conducting a comprehensive torsional analysis is important because these loads can exert a significant impact. In this paper, the structural response of a multipurpose cargo ship to combined bending and torsional loads is studied using finite element analysis. The bending and torsional moments are calculated following the rules and standard regulations followed by the classification society. The ship’s 3D finite element model was verified using beam theory and direct calculations. In contrast, the accuracy of torsional stress was confirmed by comparing thin wall girder theory with direct calculation results. This study thoroughly examined the impacts of the still water bending moment, the vertical wave bending moment, and the wave-induced torsional moment on the structural response of ships. Furthermore, it scrutinised the impact of torsion on both open-deck and closed-deck ships. Hull girder normal stresses at midship due to still water and the vertical wave bending moment are shown to contribute to almost 70% of total stress in an inclined condition; stresses resulting from the horizontal wave bending moment contribute nearly 10%, while warping stresses contribute approximately 20% in open-deck ships. It is also shown that torsion has little impact on closed-deck ships. Finally, a buckling analysis was conducted to assess the ship’s buckling criteria, confirming that the linear buckling criteria were satisfied.

Implementation of the critical wave groups method with computational fluid dynamics and neural networks

Accurate and efficient prediction of extreme ship responses continues to be a challenging problem in ship hydrodynamics. Probabilistic frameworks in conjunction with computationally efficient numerical hydrodynamic tools have been developed that allow researchers and designers to better understand extremes. However, the ability of these hydrodynamic tools to represent the physics quantitatively during extreme events is limited. Previous research successfully implemented the critical wave groups (CWG) probabilistic method with computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Although the CWG method allows for less simulation time than a Monte Carlo approach, the large quantity of simulations required is cost prohibitive. The objective of the present paper is to reduce the computational cost of implementing CWG with CFD, through the construction of long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks. After training the models with a limited quantity of simulations, the models can provide a larger quantity of predictions to calculate the probability. The new framework is demonstrated with a 2-D midship section of the Office of Naval Research Tumblehome (ONRT) hull in Sea State 7 and beam seas at zero speed. The new framework is able to produce predictions that are representative of a purely CFD-driven CWG framework, with two orders of magnitude of computational cost savings.

Dynamic impact response and residual strength of container ship under dropped object

This study aims to present numerical investigations on container ships’ residual longitudinal ultimate strength subjected to dropped container collisions. First, the commercial software ABAQUS was applied. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed numerical analyses were established by comparing the numerical results with the experimental results. Next, parametric studies were carried out on actual container ships to assess the degree of loss of the ship’s longitudinal strength in two dangerous situations a ship sagging and hogging. The effects of parameters including drop heigh and impact angles on the ultimate longitudinal strength of the ship have been investigated. The results present in this study can be applied to predict the residual longitudinal strength of dropped container collisions on a container ship. It is also useful for the initial design stage of ship structures in case of collision incidents.

Investigation of wave effects on motion of an unmanned surface vehicle at various scales

Motion characteristics of unmanned surface vehicle are mainly affected by sea wave during its operation. This paper shows the numerical results of the unmanned surface ship at various scales in irregular waves based on the boundary element method. The effects of different sea states on each scaled model in a head sea, bow quartering sea, and beam sea are analyzed to predict the safety region of the ship motion. The significant amplitudes of ship motion are obtained from the ship motion responses in regular waves. Steady wave drift forces in the cases of bow oblique sea are calculated to find the impact of second-order waves on the models. It is proved that the motion of model C is remarkable in the narrow frequency domain from 0.2 to 1.4 rad/s but the ship responses of model A are considerable in the range of frequency of 0.2 to 2.5 rad/s. The significant amplitude of surge and pitch motion reaches the peak values in head sea conditions while the peak values of yaw motion are in the oblique sea of 120 degrees. The left motion is maximum in head sea condition.