Three-Dimensional Effects on Added Masses of Ship-Like Forms for Higher Harmonic Modes

Sectional added masses of an elastic beam vibrating vertically on the free surface in higher harmonic modes are evaluated. Hydrodynamic interactions between neighboring sections, which strip theory ignores, are considered for modal wave lengths of the order of magnitude of cross-sectional dimensions of the body. An approximate solution of modified Helmholtz equation which becomes a singular perturbation problem at small wave lengths is secured to get an analytic expression for added masses attending higher harmonic modes. As a bound of the present theory, the modified Helmholtz equation is solved for the long flat plate vibrating at high frequency on the water surface without any limitations on modal frequency. Finally, extensive series of numerical calculations are carried out for ship-like forms. It is found that when modal wave length is comparable to or shorter than a typical cross-sectional dimension of a body, sectional interaction effects are large which result in considerable reductions in added masses. For a fuller section, the ratio of added mass reduction is greater. In the limit of vanishing sectional area, the added masses approach to that of flat plate of equal beam. It is shown that the added mass distribution for a Legendre modal from can be determined form the present theory and that the results agree with the extensive three-dimensional determination of Vorus and Hilarides.