INVESTIGATION OF EFFECTS OF WAVE DIRECTIONS ON HULL WAVE LOADS BY HYDROELASTIC EXPERIMENTAL METHOD

This paper focuses on the hydroelastic responses of ultra large vessels under different wave directions. Segmented ship model experiments provide an invaluable tool in naval applications. However, most model tests are performed on heading waves. Therefore, a segmented model with variable cross-section steel backbones was designed and the oblique wave tests were performed in a comprehensive test tank. The oblique wave test system was introduced in detail. Time histories of bending moments in oblique waves were given. In order to analyze the influence of structural elastic effect on hydroelastic responses, the number of segments of the model was changed, and the variation of the high frequency slamming bending moments and low frequency wave bending moments with wave directions was analyzed. It is shown that compared with the low frequency wave moments, the high frequency load responses are more sensitive to the change of wave direction. Finally, numerical simulations of the ship load responses were carried out by using three-dimensional nonlinear hydroelastic method. The computational results under different wave directions have been correlated with those from model tests.