Numerical Simulation of Wave Breaking Near Ship Bow

The interaction between advancing ships and the waves generated by them plays important roles in wave resistances and ship motions. Wave breaking phenomena near the ship bow at different speeds are investigated both numerically and experimentally. Numerical simulations of free surface profiles near the fore bodies of ships are performed and visualized to grasp the general trend or the mechanism of wave breaking phenomena from moderate waves rather than concentrating on local chaotic irregularities as ship speeds increase. Navier-Stokes equations are differentiated based on the finite difference method. The Marker and Cell (MAC) Method and Marker-Density Method are employed, and they are compared for the description of free surface conditions associated with the governing equations. Extra effort has been directed toward the realization of extremely complex free surface conditions at wave breaking. For this purpose, the air-water interface is treated with marker density, which is used for two layer flows of fluids with different properties. Adaptation schemes and refinement of the numerical grid system are also used at local complex flows to improve the accuracy of the solutions. In addition to numerical simulations, various model tests are performed in a ship model towing tank. The results are compared with numerical calculations for verification and for realizing better, more efficient research performance. It is expected that the present research results regarding wave breaking and the geometry of the fore body of ship will facilitate better hull form design productivity at the preliminary ship design stage, especially in the case of small and fast ship design. Also, the obtained knowledge on the impact due to the interaction of breaking waves and an advancing hull surface is expected to be applicable to investigation of the ship bow slamming problem as a specific application.