SEAKEEPING EVALUATION IN SWATH SHIP DESIGN

In the design of ships based on the SWATH concept, one important factor is that the SWATH ships have been said to have excellent seakeeping performance. This paper proposes a method for evaluating the overall seakeeping performance of ships systematically and quantitatively. A concept of mission effectiveness' is introduced, which provides a measure for the evaluation of seakeeping performance. The ship's performance in rough seas is evaluated in the term of performance effectiveness' which is estimated by making use of techniques developed in the naval architecture and system engineering fields. Then, the mission effectiveness is estimated and evaluated. The present method is applied to the evaluation of seakeeping performance of the SWATH patrol boat which is considered one of the prospective applications of the SWATH concept. .