Research on Hull Form Design and Numerical Simulation of Sinkage and Trim for a New Shallow-Water Seismic Survey Vessel

Abstract

When a ship sails in shallow water, it will show different hydrodynamic performance from that in deep water due to the limitations of water depth. The shallow water effect may lead to hull sinkage and trim, increasing the risk of bottoming or collision. In this study, a new design scheme of a shallow-water seismic survey vessel is proposed to solve the problems of traditional seismic survey vessels in shallow-water marine resources exploration and safety. The RANS (the Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes) method combined with the Overset Mesh and DFBI (Dynamic Fluid Body Interaction) method is used for numerical simulation to analyze the influence of ship type, water depth, and speed on ship sinkage and trim, as well as the influence of the shallow-water ship’s attitude on resistance. The results show that with the decrease in water depth and the increase in speed, the pressure distribution around the hull becomes uneven, which leads to the aggravation of the sinkage and trim of the hull. In response to this problem, the shallow-water seismic survey vessel significantly improved the sinkage and trim of the hull in shallow water to ensure its safe navigation. The research also shows that navigation resistance can be effectively reduced by appropriately adjusting the ship’s attitude. Therefore, this study provides a reference for the development of shallow-water ships in the future.

Keywords

• shallow-water seismic survey vessel
• shallow-water effect
• sinkage and trim
• hull form design