New Green-Function Method to Predict Wave-Induced Ship Motions and Loads

A three-dimensional numerical method based on the new Green function given in Chen (1999) and the higher-order description of ship hull by bi-quadratic patches has been developed in order to predict wave-induced ship motions and loads. The development of this new method and its validations through a comprehensive comparison with semi-analytical solutions and results of experimental measurements, are described in the paper. Recent work on the ship-motion Green function in both analytical and numerical aspects provides an accurate and efficient way to evaluate the influence coefficients involved in integral equations. The use of bi-quadratic patches gives a precise representation of the ship geometry and a continuous representation of the velocity potential over the ship hull. Furthermore, application of the Galerkin procedure yields a square-matrix system and improves the accuracy of solutions. The excellent level of agreement with known semi-analytical solutions and experimental measurements shows that the present numerical method is reliable and practical in a number of applications.