Ship Hull Design and Performance

The advantage of speed on the water has been well documented throughout the history of naval operations. Since the days of sail-racing an opponent for the upwind advantage to take the initiative-naval doctrine has recognized the importance of speedwhether the mission is combat, security or interdiction. Unfortunately, the technology of the basic hull form has changed little since the days of John Paul Jones. The majority of vessels in the US Navy are displacement ships. They possess relativelyhigh drag coefficients and operate with limited efficiency. Even the latest and much ballyhooed HSV catamaran is still a displacement vessel.The overall objective of the proposal is to study and evaluate the captured air hull with special emphasis on the M-hull design. The technical objectives are listed below:1. Study the hydrodynamic phenomena of the M-hull.2. Develop CFD design tools to evaluate wave interference on the M-hull.3. Evaluate the influence of body parameter variations and multi M-hull alternatives on performance criteria.4. Define/evaluate current requirements, capabilities and limitations of Navy vessels.5. Evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of this hull technology for Naval applications.Optional: Develop CFD tools for evaluating M-hull and air captured hull designs. Mangia Onda''''s proprietary M-hull technology has demonstrated, on a limited basis, the ability to transcend the limitations of the conventional hull form categories.The hull geometry and the captured air plenums allow the ship to automatically and naturally seek the most efficient form of lift depending on speed, payload and sea condition. This remarkable feature is demonstrated on several small vessels. Thechallenge now is to develop tools to quantify the potential of the M-hull and other captured air hulls and explore the full potential of the design for a broad range of Naval applications.