Coupled boundary element method for modelling wave-ship hydrodynamics - recent developments and results

Kurzfassung

The provision of fast and accurate estimation of ship motions and resistance in waves represents the main criterion for the continued use of Boundary Element Methods in the maritime industry and research. In addition, it makes them well suited for maritime tools such as decision support and energy management systems. Therein, real-time evaluations of wave loads and power demands are often required, which makes the use of Boundary Element Methods in these tools advantageous compared to viscous CFD solvers. In this paper, we present strategies and results of a hydrodynamic coupled Boundary Element Method prototype designed for applications where accurate real-time predictions are crucial. The wave-ship interaction is modeled as a mixed boundary value problem in which the intersection of water and ship surface is treated explicitly, and spectral-like approaches are considered for fast simulation of wave dynamics. Moreover, the coupled approach ensures the simultaneous evaluation of wave and ship dynamics. The paper highlights the extension of the approach to boundary intersections on elements, presents results obtained for a set of test cases and outlines future development steps.