Trimaran Design and Performance Available to Purchase

This paper summarizes knowledge gained from a five-year study of trimaran ship design, including ship concept development, scaled model experiments and numerical simulations of hydrodynamic and structural performance. Two design concepts for trimaran warships were generated through parallel tradeoff studies and design efforts in the US and Japan. A series of trimaran hull form models were constructed which included several hull shapes and side hull positions relative to the center hull. Performance evaluations included calm-water resistance and propulsion, seakeeping in regular and irregular seas at multiple headings, wave-induced bending moments and secondary loads, and free-running maneuvering. Fatigue experiments on aluminum trimaran structural details were also conducted.