The influence of numerical parameters in the finite-volume method on the Wigley hull resistance

Abstract

The equations discretization errors are often overlooked compared to the spatial discretization errors. This article presents the results of the influence of various equations discretization schemes in computational fluid dynamics on the prediction of the ship resistance and wave elevation on the hull. For the analysis, steady flow around a model of the Wigley hull is numerically predicted by employing a finite-volume method solver based on Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the volume-of-fluid method. Six momentum discretization schemes, three multi-fluid discretization schemes and three gradient schemes, are used in the analysis. The results show that the choice of discretization schemes has a significant influence on the results of wave elevation and resistance force in the case of the flow around the Wigley hull. In conclusion, second-order discretization schemes should be used for the resistance evaluation, in order to properly capture the non-linear effects.