Numerical investigation for shielding effects of two vessels in side-by-side configurations

This study systematically investigates the shielding phenomenon that the weather-side vessel imposed on and lee-side vessel when the two vessels are positioned in side-by-side configurations. Shielding efficiency parameter is newly introduced to measure the shielding effects of three key parameters: horizontal distance, vertical distance, and wave angle. Two new concept, Theoretical wave amplitude (TWA) and Effective wave amplitude (EWA), are introduced to elucidate the physical mechanism of the shielding effect. The analysis includes a range of scenarios to study the effects of each parameter on roll, sway, and heave motions. The weather-side vessel with both free and fixed conditions is comparatively investigated to analyze the effects of vessel boundary condition on the shielding effect. Numerical results demonstrate that the three parameters significantly impact the shielding effects and the role of each parameter varies for different motion responses. The shielding effect is more pronounced for fixed condition than free case.