Hydrodynamic Interaction and Steering of Ships in Confined Waterways using Overset Mesh

Sammanfattning

Safe navigation in confined waterways, such as narrow channels, is a challenging aspectof maritime operations, particularly when two vessels meet or pass each otherat close distance. In these situations, hydrodynamic interaction effects between theships and the surrounding channel boundaries can significantly influence the vessels’motion, maneuverability, and steering behavior. If these effects are not properlyanticipated, they may compromise the safety of such encounters.This thesis investigates the applicability of Computational Fluid Dynamics for simulatingship encounters in confined waterways. The work focuses on the use ofOpenFOAM together with overset mesh and the Volume of Fluid method to modelfree-surface flow and moving vessels. A numerical simulation strategy is developedin several stages, starting from a single-hull case in a channel and progressing towarda two-hull meeting scenario. The aim is to assess whether the selected numericalmethods can capture relevant hydrodynamic interaction effects and support the developmentof steering strategies for safe passage, using only accessible local data suchas the ship’s yaw angle and distance to obstacles. The purpose is to contribute tothe development of steering methods that reduce reliance on external satellite-basednavigation systems such as GPS.