The numerical investigation of wave slamming on a polar supply and research vessel

• Main Author: Van der Westhuizen, Alexander
• Other Authors: Bekker, Anriette, Meyer, Christiaan J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2023
• Subjects: Computational fluid dynamics; Offshore structures > Hydrodynamics; Water waves; Ocean waves; UCTD; Southern Ocean; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127074

Thesis (MEng) -- Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH SUMMARY: The SA Agulhas II is a polar supply and research vessel owned by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa. She facilitates and supports research in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. The SA Agulhas II was designed to polar class 5 and experiences harsh seas and ice conditions during her voyages. The ship was designed with a raised transom which results in significant slamming during open water navigation. This can cause local damage to the hull as well as increased fatigue damage to the structure of the vessel. The ship was designed to manage ice passage which may be sub-optimal during open water navigation due to the increased slamming which results from the raised transom. An investigation into a monitoring scheme with the use of full-scale measurements and simulation software is instantiated to detect slamming pressures experienced by the hull of the vessel. The full-scale slam load measurement estimation is established with the use of plate theory and strain measurements on sections of the hull plating at the transom. The strain measurements are used to determine an estimate of the pressure loads experienced on the hull during slamming events. The results show promise in the technique used after some improvements in noise attenuation and error adjustment due to simplifying assumptions. A computational fluid dynamic model and simulation procedure is developed to analyse the validity of using simulation software to predict loading and vessel responses as well as inform hindsight investigations of the vessel responses to her environment. The simulation software does not capture the response of the vessel well in some seaways and hydrodynamic pressure estimates are not determined well for small sea states. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die SA Agulhas II is ’n pool verskaffings- en navorsingsvaartuig wat deur die Departement van Bosbou, Visserye en die Omgewing van Suid-Afrika besit word. Sy ondersteun navorsing in die ...