Experimental study on the asymmetric impact loads and hydroelastic responses of a very large container ship

This paper presents an experimental investigation of asymmetric impact effects on hydroelastic responses. A 1:64 scaled segmented ship model with U-shape open cross-section backbone was newly designed to meet elastic similarity conditions of vertical, horizontal and torsional stiffness simultaneously. Different wave heading angles and wavelengths were adopted in regular wave test. In head wave condition, parametric rolling phenomena happened along with asymmetric slamming forces, the relationship between them was disclosed at first time. The impact forces on starboard and port sides showed alternating asymmetric periodic changes. In oblique wave condition, nonlinear springing and whipping responses were found. Since slamming phenomena occurred, high-frequency bending moments became an important part in total bending moments and whipping responses were found in small wavelength. The wavelength and head angle are varied to elucidate the relationship of springing/whipping loads and asymmetric impact. The distributions of peaks of horizontal and torsional loads show highly asymmetric property.