Container ship numerical simulation in oblique winds to create a statistical data driven wind resistance model

Abstract

Because wind can exert very large forces on a merchant 
ship, especially a container ship carrying high stacks of 
cargo on board, more accurate simulations than those 
currently found in the literature on the aerodynamics of 
a container ship are needed for safe and efficient 
shipping. This research aims to demonstrate that it is 
possible to capture the aerodynamic features of a typical 
full-stack container ship with more accuracy. The 
simulation system was validated using test data from the 
US National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics 
(NACA) for the Akron airship. These unique data may 
validate the accuracy of the Computational Fluid 
Dynamics (CFD) prediction for pressure distributions 
throughout a three-dimensional (3D) object at nonzero 
wind angles. Wind angles of attack (AOAs) up to 40° 
are the focus of the container ship's numerical 
simulations, which are performed using ANSYS
CFXTM and are obtained from a container ship's voyage 
data record over a very long trip. A regression equation for air 
resistance is developed within this range, and a set of trip data 
for wind speed and directions is also analyzed to confirm the 
applicability of the findings. New elements of air-sea 
interaction modeling are included in this study.