Comparative Performance of Optimum High Speed SWATH and Semi-SWATH in Calm Water and in Waves.

The hydrodynamic performance of unconventional SWATH and Semi-SWA TH for high speed applications are analyzed and compared in this paper. Bare hull resistance in calm water is estimated by an inviscid boundary element method with viscous corrections and verified by a fully turbulent, multiphase unsteady RANSE solver. Motions response in head waves, calculated by a frequency domain 3D panel method with forward speed effects are also evaluated and compared. Both considered hulls are the best designs coming from full parametric hull form optimization procedures, based on CFD solvers for the estimation of their hydrodynamic performance and driven by evolutionary minimization algorithms. The SWATH has twin parabolic struts and an unconventional underwater shape, the semi-SWATH has a slender triangular waterline, a bulbous shape in the entrance body which gradually morph into a U-section with a shallow transom in the run body. In general, as expected, the Semi-SWATH hull shows a lower drag at high speeds while the single strut SWA TH is superior at lower speeds. As regards seakeeping, the SWA TH shows unbeatable lower pitch and heave motions in shorter waves, where the Semi-SWATH evidences a double peaked RAO. More detailed analysis and conclusion are drawn in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]