Application of a FINFLO-SHIP RANS solver to ship-generated waves

This paper presents the results in modelling of ship-generated waves around a modern tanker using the FINFLO-SHIP RANS solver developed at Helsinki University of Technology. Simulation for three-dimensional turbulent free-surface flows is performed in a numerical water tank. A cell-centred finite-volume (FV) scheme is implemented for the solution of the RANS equations with the artificial compressibility and the nonlinear free-surface boundary conditions. The convergence performance is improved with the multigrid method. A free-surface is tracked with a moving mesh, in which the free-surface boundary conditions are given on the actual location of the free surface. Three turbulence models, Baldwin-Lomax's model, Chien's low Reynolds number k - epsilon model and Menter's k - omega - SST model, are implemented. The calculated results are validated and they compare well with the experimental data in terms of the free-surface waves and wake. Furthermore, the convergence performance and the effects of the grid refinement on the waves are studied, including the effects of the turbulence models on the wave systems.