Experimental analysis of the seakeeping performance of catamaran forms with bulbous bows

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Abdul Ghani, Pauzi^a | Wilson, Philip^{b; *}

Affiliations: [a] Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia | [b] University of Southampton, UK

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Philip Wilson, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, UK. E-mail: philip.wilson@soton.ac.uk.

Abstract: This paper explores the effects of adding different forms of bulbous bows onto catamaran hulls and assesses the implications on the seakeeping performance. There has been a large body of work that assess’ the effect of wave wake wash and recently studies have been undertaken to determine the effects of bulbous bows on reducing wave wake wash. However, not much research has been published on the effects of bulbous bows on the seakeeping performance of catamarans fitted with bulbous bows. This paper presents experimental results that will allow a ship designer to understand the effects of bulbous bows on heave, pitch and added resistance in waves. In conclusion it ranks the importance of different bulbous bows on the seakeeping performance.

Keywords: Bulbous bow, seakeeping, added resistance, heave, pitch, waves

DOI: 10.3233/ISP-170140

Journal: International Shipbuilding Progress, vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 1-28, 2018