Model Calm Water Resistance and Motion – Simulations, Experiments and Verification

To assess the impact of each bow design on motion and drag, two platform supply vessel models (PSV) of same parallel middle body and stern were tested in deep water regime on the Towing Tank of the Institute for Technological Research of the State of São Paulo (IPT). Calm water resistance was measured for different operating condition (draft and speed). One of the models was also tested in waves. Moreover, the same Towing Tank tests conditions were re-created in Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation and the results of resistance, sinkage and trim were compared to appraise the reliability of the simulation method. Seeking a competitive performance compared to Towing Tank tests, the simulations’ mesh size was kept below 5 million cells and executed on the software STAR-CCM+ using a multiphase model (VOF) and the K-Omega turbulence model. As expected, the desired performance was achieved while providing consistent outcomes as most cases reached resistance errors below 5%, with better adherence at lower speeds.