Dynamic Fluid Structure Interaction of NACRA 17 Foil

Abstract

The NACRA 17 is a small foiling catamaran that is lifted out of the water by two asymmetric z-foils and two rudder elevators. This paper investigates how foil deflection affects not only foil performance but overall boat behaviour using a numerical Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) model. The deformations are solved with a solid model based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the flow is solved with a Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes (RANS) based Finite Volume Model (FVM). The models are strongly coupled to allow dynamic FSI simulations. The numerical model is validated by comparing it to an experimental campaign conducted at the RISE SSPA Maritime Center in Sweden.Validation shows reasonable agreement, but the model can only be considered validated for some rake angles. The large deformation of the foils is found to have a profound effect on the performance of the foils and therefore of the overall catamaran. Turbulence transition and boat speed are found to affect foil forces and, in turn, deformation. Dynamic response of the foils during boat motion as exposed to waves is investigated and finally the full boat hydrodynamic is simulated by including both foils and the rudders in various scenarios.

Keywords

• fluid structure interaction
• hydrofoil
• computational fluid dynamics
• finite element method
• NACRA 17