University of Tasmania, Australia

Bow Design to Minimise Wave Impact Effects on High-Speed Catamaran Vessels

Maritime transportation represents a major contributor to the transport sector’s overall contribution to greenhouse gas production. High-speed Catamaran vessels are one solution to improving the performance of this sector. However, such vessels experience extreme damaging loads during large wave slam events when the crest of a wave impacts on the structure. This is a critical structural design case especially for developing military support. This project will consider bow designs to measure slam loads through tank testing that will provide a controlled validation of the predictive design. Wave slamming on the wetdeck beneath the central bow area of high speed catamaran ferries has emerged as a significant issue in structural design and vessel durability. Slam damage due to hull bending has been evident in easily visible buckling of hull external plates amidships 8m above the water line. Direct damage of hull surface plates beneath the bow is also common, as has been buckling of internal frames in the bow area. The problem of wet deck slamming has become particularly significant in the context of military operations as vessels are increasingly operated at high speed under exposed route conditions.

Identification of the slam mechanism and bow design to minimize slam loads: The slamming mechanism in the bow area of wave piercing catamarans is strongly three dimensional and tank tests will form the basis of detailed measurement of the slam process. In particular, surface mounted pressure sensing arrays will be introduced to locate the slam load and to resolve its spatial and temporal distribution. The tests will be directed at identifying bow designs which minimise wave impact forces leading to improved structural design and energy efficiency of future high-speed catamaran vessels.