Disturbance Induced by a Pressure Distribution Moving Over a Free Surface

Abstract

This paper uses the linearized water-wave theory to analyze the disturbances induced by a constant pressure distribution with a rectangular planform moving over calm water. The methods developed, however, can be applied to other pressure distributions. Numerical schemes and computation results for typical speeds and beam/length ratios are presented for the pressure trace on the sea floor when the water depth is finite and the local flow pattern when the depth is infinite. For shallow waters, closed-form solutions for both the pressure trace and free-surface profile are obtained. A surface-effect ship acts like a moving pressure distribution as far as the induced disturbances in the water are concerned. Thus, the results of the present study may be useful for the design of surface-effect ships.