The aim of this work is to investigate the contribution of those “non-structural” components to the hull strength in order to evaluate their effect on the stress and deformation distribution of a large sailing yacht. Two different finite element models of a 94 ft sailing yacht, with and without “non structural components”, have been carried out with a very high level of detail in order to evaluate the outfit and furniture contribution to the primary hull response. 

Slamming is a pervasive issue for marine vehicles, few of which are composed entirely of flat panels. Experimental and numerical data from flat panels and wedges are often extrapolated to handle other shapes because much previous work has focused on flat panels and wedges. Though correction factors and other strategies have been employed to achieve satisfactory correlation, curved shapes behave in a fundamentally different way. The current work seeks to investigate the effect of curvature on slamming loads through the use of constant velocity experimental testing and coupled Finite Element-Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics numerical simulations. Experiments and numerical modelling conducted in the current work show that curved bodies experience a much higher initial loading than rigid wedges, which then abates to a quasi-constant residual load. This load profile varies significantly from that found in flat panels. Peak impact force and impulse plots generated from simulating a range of geometries indicate rigid cylinder slamming represents a more severe load case than rigid wedge slamming. Correlation between experiments and simulations is evaluated by comparison of the time-frequency domain representations of the respective transient signals which results in a single goodness of fit value. Once correlated, numerical simulation techniques can be used to further investigate the influence of curvature on slamming loads. Understanding this relationship between curvature and slamming loads has the potential to increase design optimization resulting in more failure resistant structures.

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is a mesh-free Lagrangian numerical method suited to modelling fluids with a freely deforming surface. A two-dimensional SPH algorithm has been developed and applied to the problem of ship keel and bow-flare slamming. Freely decelerating drop tests of a model flared hull section were used as a basis for an initial validation of the SPH model. Relative vertical velocity profiles measured during tow tank experiments were then imposed on two-dimensional SPH models and reasonable agreement between the experimental and numerical slamming pressures was found. Finally, relative vertical velocity profiles calculated using SEAWAY software were implemented in the SPH algorithm, so as to simulate slamming on a typical V-form hull model.