Numerical PMM test in finite depth

Abstract

This study conducted a numerical planar motion mechanism (PMM) test for a containership, considering the effects of finite depth. An OpenFOAM-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach was employed to conduct the simulations. Before conducting a series of numerical computations, uncertainty analysis for the grid size and time step was performed to ensure the reliability of the computational results. Two PMM tests, static drift and pure yaw, were conducted, and the results were validated against experimental data. The comparison demonstrated good agreement between forces, moments, and hydrodynamic coefficients when compared with both experimental and other computational results. Furthermore, a comparison between a first- and second-order combination model and a first- and third-order combination model revealed that the latter showed better alignment with experimental data in deep water, while the former performed better in shallow water, emphasizing the role of crossflow. This study contributes to understanding the differences in maneuvering performance between deep and shallow water conditions.