CFD prediction of ship motions and bow loads in short-crested irregular waves

January 30, 2026

A numerical tank for three-dimensional short-crested irregular waves is established to improve the theoretical prediction accuracy using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The research uses the KCS model as a target ship to predict navigational status in irregular waves. It summarises the variation in ship motions with different speeds, wave heights, and wave directions. The development processes and characteristics of the bow loads, including bow slamming and green water, are investigated by a series of monitoring points located on the hull shell and deck. The bow load distributions and their variation in different marine environments are also illustrated. Finally, the three-dimensional short-crest effect is analysed by comparing ship motions and bow loads in short-crested and long-crested waves. The research indicates that short-crested peak waves can excite both heave and roll motions, resulting in more pronounced asymmetric distributions of bow loads. This research can improve the understanding of short-crested waves and guide actual ship navigation.

Authors in the community:

• 

  S

  Shan Wang

  ist170910

  Affiliations and sources

  IST > CENTEC

  Centro de Engenharia e Tecnologia Naval e Oceânica

  IST > DEM

  Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica

• 

  C

  Carlos Guedes Soares

  ist11869

  Affiliations and sources

  IST > CENTEC

  Centro de Engenharia e Tecnologia Naval e Oceânica

VoR - Version of Record

Elsevier

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0029801825035231

Ocean Engineering

123841

345

0029-8018

10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123841

other-engineering-and-technologies - Other engineering and technologies

Keywords

• Ship motion
• Short-crested waves
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Slamming
• Green water

eng - English