Hydrodynamic model of vessel-generated currents

The drawdown and return currents of vessels navigating in channels have previously been described by empirical relations or by using physical models. The empirical solutions are generally limited in scope to idealized channel shapes. Physical models are unrestricted in this respect, but have limitations related to expense and scale effects. In this paper, vessel effects are modelled numerically. The vessel's displacement is represented by a moving pressure field. The movement of the pressure field is spatially varied in time, representing a vessel navigating along a channel. The hydrodynamics are described using the two-dimensional shallow water equations, which are modified to account for the effects of the imposed pressure field. A Petrov—Galerkin finite-element scheme using characteristic-based weighting is used to solve the governing equations. This Petrov—Galerkin test function is specifically designed to model flow fields containing large gradients such as those found in the vicinity of the moving vessel. The numerical results for return flows and water surface elevations are compared with flume results of vessel passages.