Ship Maneuvering Simulations

Our Ship Maneuvering Simulation service allows you to gain insight to the vessel's maneuvering capabilities quickly and for a fraction of the cost of experimental studies. This can be of great help for vessels for which maneuverability is crucial, whether it is a new design or a retrofit. CFD simulations can accurately predict the behaviour of the vessel in various maneuvers with multiple propulsors and active appendages, givin valuable insgiht to the naval architect.

Types of Ship Maneuvering Simulations

Some ship maneuvering simulations are more common then others, and most can be performed in CFD.

Typical Maneuvering Tests

There are numerous tests that are recommended by the ITTC for assessing the maneuvering capabilities of a vessel. Some of these tests can be performed using CFD, saving valuable time and money. The propellers and thrusters are modelled in these maneuvering simulations, together with dynamic appendages such as rudders or ducts.

The maneuvering tests that can readily be performed using these simulations, recommended by the ITTC in Recommended Procedures and Guidelines, Full Scale Maneuvering Trials, are:

2.2.1 Turning Circle,
2.2.11 Initial Turning Test,
2.2.12 Accelerating Turning Test,
2.2.13 Thruster Test,
2.2.14 Crabbing Test.

Special Maneuvering Tests

In some situations specific maneouvers or conditions need to be predicted that are not included in typical maneuvering test. These can be simulations with proximity of other objects such as ships, boats, piers, coast, where the interaction between the objects and the ship can be important. Also, shallow water maneuvering can be of interest, with possible proximity to the channel bank.

In some cases environmental conditions need to be considered, such as wind or waves in the maneuvering simulations. Our numerical model allows direct time-domain simulations of vessels maneuvering in waves, with or without other object in the vicinity.