Multi-Hull Configuration Design: A Framework for Powering Minimization Available to Purchase

The powering issue of a high-speed marine vehicle with multi-hulls is addressed, since there is an often need to quickly evaluate the effects of several configuration parameters in the early stage of ship design. For component hulls with given geometry, the parameters considered include the relative locations of individual hulls and the relative volumetric ratios. Within the realm of linearized theory, an interference resistance expression for hull-to-hull interaction is first reviewed, and then a new formula for hull-and-pressure distribution interference is derived. Each of these analytical expressions is expressed in terms of the Fourier signatures or Kochin functions of the interacting components, with the separation, stagger, and speed as explicit parameters. Based on this framework, examples are given for assessing the performance of a di-hull as opposed to a tetra-hull system. Also examined is the wave resistance generated by a Surface-Effect Ship (SES) in comparison with that by a baseline catamaran, subject to the constraint of constant total displacement.