A Study of Dynamic Responses and Wave Loads on Ships by 3-D Green Function Method

The dynamic wave loads are the most significant factor for the hull design of a ship. But experimental works for the motion responses of a ship and sea loads on her are expensive and time consuming for individual ship design. Therefore, the development of theoretical and numerical methods for predicting ship motions and dynamic loads on a ship in waves is very important for rational ship design procedure. In general, though 3-D Green function techniques with forward speed need long computation time, however it should be more accurate assumption of the flow field problem on an advancing ship in waves. Nowadays the availability of much faster computer makes the 3-D Green function techniques with forward speed more familiar than before. In this paper, numerical analyses on ship motions and wave loads are presented for ships with forward speed advancing in regular waves. 3-D Green function techniques have been used to carry out the numerical computations for the radiation problem and wave loads for a moving ship. Based on the 3–D linearized potential theory, dynamic wave loads have been computed of a bulk carrier in regular waves where experimental measurements are available. The computations are carried out for various heading angles between head sea and following sea and various ranges of frequencies. The results for motions, and vertical and horizontal bending moments are presented in this paper. Computed results are compared with the experimental data. The results calculated by the present method are found in fairly good agreement with the experimental results and those calculated by the other researchers. Using developed computer code, some parametric studies are also carried out for the ship design criteria and the discussions are made.