A Generalized Wagner Method for Three-Dimensional Slamming

Abstract

Impact between the water and ship, that is, slamming, can cause important global and local effects. A numerical method has been applied to predict water entry loads on three-dimensional bodies. The problem is solved as an initial value problem using the boundary element method. The Green second identity is used to represent the velocity potential as a distribution of Rankine sources and dipoles over the body surface and free surface. The problem is stepped up in time using the information from the boundary conditions. The kinematic free-surface condition is used to determine the intersection between the body surface and free surface at each time step. The exact body boundary condition is used, whereas the dynamic free-surface condition, φ = 0, is approximated on to a horizontal line and not on the exact free-surface profile. The approach presented by Zhao et al (1996) for two-dimensional water entry problems was extended to arbitrary three-dimensional bodies in this presented work. An idealized shape, which consists of cylindrical mid-body and hemispherical ends, was studied. The wetted body surface is calculated with great detail and is considered to be more important than the free-surface elevation away from the body. Drop tests have been carried out to verify and validate the numerical simulation. The effect of the angle between the free surface and the body surface has also been studied. The agreement between theory and experiments is good, and the effect of three-dimensionality is documented. The presented computational method is found to be robust for engineering use and computationally less demanding. The experimental results for vertical force have a strong oscillatory nature, and this has been analyzed using a simplified hydroelastic model. The hydroelastic model gives reasonable representation of the dynamic oscillations found in the vertical force. Reasons for the observed deviations between the numerical and the experimental results are documented. Recommendations for conducting drop tests with minimal dynamic effects are also presented.