Numerical Investigation of Stern Flow for Improved Hull Design

The International Maritime Organisation has already made Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) as a design norm which requires looking at design from energy consumption point of view. The study of the flow in and around the stern region of a ship needs greater attention. This is because of the fact that, the flow in the stern region defines the performance of the propeller. A highly uneven flow at the stern may lead to cavitations, vibrations and decrease in the propulsive efficiency of the vehicle. Recent advances in computational fluid dynamics techniques and development of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations based methods have enabled a reasonably accurate estimation of resistance and facilitated the design evaluation of aft-body form and appendages that are highly influenced by viscous effects. By integrating CAD and CFD techniques along with databases of model tests, it is possible to explore and develop efficient hull forms within specified time constraints.