Numerical Analysis for the Improvement of the Bulbous Bow Shape of a Ship Hull using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Abstract

The employment of a bulbous bow has become a widespread practice in shipping industries long after its first creation. Among of all investigations on enhancing hull shape, the improved bow design received the most attention. This research evaluates the improvement of the bulbous bow shape of a ship hull by utilizing free form deformation (FFD) based on parametric study without employing any optimization algorithm. There have been numerous combinations of lengths, breadths, and angles each of those has individual influence on the total resistance of a ship. After parametric study, the best combination of these param is found which resulted in the generation of the most improved bulbous bow making the lowest resistance. The overall resistance coefficient is also significantly lower while comparing the parent hull with that having the improved bow. The improved bulbous bow shape of the hull also impacts the properties of hydrodynamics, involving wave heights and wall shear stress, which get reduced at various Froude Numbers. This will increase fuel efficiency and economic maintenance while reducing emissions and impact on the environment.

Keywords

RANS / Finite volume method / Free form deformation / JBC hull / Bulbous bow / Hull resistance

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