Numerical estimation of hull hydrodynamic derivatives in ship maneuvering prediction

Prediction of the maneuvering characteristics of a ship at the design stage can be done by means of model tests, computational simulations or a combination of both. Th e model tests can be realized as a direct simulation of the standard maneuvers with the free running model, which gives the most accurate results but is also the least aff ordable, as it requires a very large tank or natural lake, as well as the complex equipment of the model. Alternatively, a captive model test can be used to identify the hydrodynamic characteristics of the hull, which can be used to simulate the standard maneuvers with the use of dedicated soft ware. Two types of captive model tests are distinguished: circular motion tests (CMT) and planar motion mechanism tests (PMM). Th e paper presents an attempt to develop a computational method for ship maneuverability prediction in which the hydrodynamic characteristics of the hull are identifi ed by means of computational fl uid dynamics (CFD). Th e CFD analyses presented here directly simulate the circular motion test. Th e resulting hull characteristics are verifi ed against the available literature data, and the results of the simulations are verifi ed against the results of free running model tests. Reasonable agreement shows the large potential of the proposed method.