SMK 3352 Marine Hydrodynamic 21 February 2011

1. INTRODUCTION

Ships/marine vehicles are built mainly for:

• Transportation
• Special functions

To accomplish its mission, it must be able to:

• Float upright i.e. sufficient stability

• Travel at the intended speed. Or stay in position
• Manoeuvre safely
• Satisfactory motions or seakeeping
• Withstand the weather conditions at which it is operating

To acquire the above requirements, the designer must have sufficient knowledge of the
characteristics of vessels and the effect of the environment on its behaviour (dynamics &
hydrodynamics).

Field of Knowledge

• Fluid mechanics - Hydrostatics - characteristics of vessel in still water.

i.e. to ensure it floats upright.

• Hydrodynamics - Fluid loading on vessels.

• Dynamics - Predict the behaviour of the vessel in the real environment.

(Theory of vibrations)

Effects of waves on vessels

- Should understand ocean waves are complex in nature. By incorporating linear theory,
statistical methods can be adopted to study the irregular behaviour of waves and relate to
ship motions characteristics.

Not only ship motions characteristics but also dynamic effects such as:

- Shipping of green water

- Slamming
- Effects of accelerations due to pitch, heave, roll and all combined

To reduce dynamic effects devices such as bilge keels, damping tanks, fins, etc. are included.

Effectiveness of the devices is a result of good knowledge on phenomenon such as resonance

between regular waves and the rolling motion.

However, not much progress has been made in reducing pitching due to the large exciting forces
involved.

In multi geometry hulls such as semi submersibles and swaths, the pitching motions can be
reduced by the arrangement of the geometries of the hull. However for mono-hulls, this option is
not possible (or very limited).

This gives rise to the fact that ship performance varies between designs. The following items are
usually considered:

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SMK 3352 Marine Hydrodynamic 21 February 2011

a) Excessive Motions - Undesirable as they may impair stability and cause discomfort

b) Entry of water e.g. Shipping of green water

c) Non-liner motions i.e. parametric excitations, broaching

d) Functions of equipments/weapons

e) Additional stresses – Bending, Hogging or wave impacts

f) Inertial forces – Damage to equipments

g) Slamming

h) Speed reduction

i) Affects ship handling quality

Ship motions can be investigated in 4 different ways :

1. Theoretically - Analytical and numerical methods

2. Experimentally - Using model tests
3. Empirically - Statistical observations
4. Directly - Ship trials

Theoretical investigations – Derive simple analytical expressions for describing surface of the
seaway and determine the ensuing vessel motions.

The studies include the following:

- Important characteristics of the vessel and the environment

- Prediction of motions
- Insight into acceptable values of motions
- Knowledge of average performance to be expected including stability and resistance
- Basic ideas regarding motions stabilization and ways to achieve it
- Guidelines for model tests and full-scale trials

However, since ship motions are highly complex, a combination of ways has to be used.

In conjunction with theory, experiments are carried out to predict ship performance.
Sophisticated methods of model tests have been developed in various experimental facilities and
extensive ship trials are conducted in order to correlate model and ship results.

Computer simulations are also used to study the ship performance. This is usually in the areas
where complex behavior (non-linear) cannot be predicted analytically and performed
experimentally.

2. SURFACE WAVES and OCEAN WAVES

- When an object is dropped into a still pool of water, a disturbance is created in the form
of a surface wave. The subsequent motions of the surface are the result of the
gravitational action tending to return the water to its undisturbed position.

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SMK 3352 Marine Hydrodynamic 21 February 2011

- In the open sea, waves are generated due to a wind blowing over a calm water surface.
(Phillip’s Theory) (Mile’s theory)
As such the wave properties (severity of the sea) is governed by the wind strength,
duration and fetch.

LINEAR WAVE THEORY

All waves, whether gravity, acoustic or electromagnetic, obey some form of the wave equation.
The dependant variable in each case depends on the physical phenomenon, as do the boundary
conditions. In general, the wave equation and the boundary conditions maybe either linear or
nonlinear.

In this course, we concentrate on the development of the sinusoidal wave theory for the reasons:

- Adequate for most seakeeping studies

- The linear theory developed could be expanded to the irregular/random seaways

Before embarking on the analysis of linear waves, it will be helpful to consider the physical
characteristics of a traveling surface wave.

- Cartesian co-ordinate system located at still water level (SWL).

- d = water depth
- H = wave height
- λ = wave length
- c = velocity (celerity)
- ς = displacement of free surface from SWL at any position x and time t.

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SMK 3352 Marine Hydrodynamic 21 February 2011

BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

1. No water particles can cross the free surface

V ⏐z= ζ = Vn (kinematik surface condition)

For irrotational flow,

V⏐ z= ζ = ∇φ⏐ z= ζ = ∂φ n n = outward unit normal vector

∂n
z=ζ

If ς is assumed very small as compared to the wave length,

∂ς ∂φ
V ⏐ z= ζ ≅ k= k z =o
∂t ∂z

2. On the sea floor where z = -d

∂φ
∴ VN = =0 N is normal coordinate at the sea floor.
∂N

3. The pressure on the free surface is zero. Applying Bernoulli’s equation on the free surface,

∂φ 1
+ gς + V 2 = 0 (Dynamic surface condition)
∂t 2

For small displacements – Non linear and higher order terms are reflected.

The linearized dynamic condition is then,

1 ∂φ
ζ= - z =ζ
g ∂t

The linearised free-surface conditions are combined by eliminating ζ to obtain.

⎡ 1 ∂ 2φ ∂φ ⎤
⎢ g ∂t 2 + ∂z ⎥ =0
⎣ ⎦ z =ς ≅ O

* In general, we can assume that the linearised equations apply for values of H/λ up to
1/50.

Since we are dealing with a continous fluid, therefore continuity equation must be
satisfied:

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SMK 3352 Marine Hydrodynamic 21 February 2011

∂u ∂v ∂w
i.e. V= + + =o
∂x ∂y ∂z

and because of irrotational flow,

∂ 2φ ∂ 2 φ ∂ 2φ
∇ 2φ = + + =o [LAPLACE’S EQUATION]
∂x 2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2

To solve this equation (by integration) we need to impose various physical constraints
(boundary conditions) on φ . These determine the constants of integration.

The boundary conditions are expressed by:

∂φ
1. =0 at z = -d
∂N

⎡ 1 ∂ 2φ ∂φ ⎤
2. ⎢ g ∂t 2 + ∂z ⎥ z =ζ ≅ o =0
⎣ ⎦

The mathematical expression for φ satisfying these boundary conditions is:

g .a cosh k ( z + d )
φd = − . cos( kx − ωt )
ω cosh kd

Where :
a = wave amplitude, d= water depth
k = 2π / λ
λ = wave length
ω = wave frequency

Equation above can be applied to water depth corresponding to d < ½ λ

For d > ½ λ (Deep Water);

g .a
φ∞ = − .e kz . cos( kx − ωt )
ω

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