Interactive forces and moments between several ships meeting in confined waters

Abstract

Nearly all the research published on ship-ship interaction is restricted to just two ships, and hardly anything has been said about the situation where three ships are interacting. The present paper examines the interaction forces and moments acting on several ships, using an improved numerical scheme based on the discrete vortex distribution method. The aim of the present research is to develop a database of interaction forces acting on several ships. This can be used by simulation program developers to inform the vessel operators of the hazards involved in the variation of certain parameters while navigating in crowded waterways. Numerical results are presented for three-ship interactions in simultaneous meeting conditions.