Numerical study of a complex free surface flow around a high speed craft

This paper focuses on the analysis of a challenging free surface flow problem involving surface vessel moving at high speeds. The investigation is performed using a general purpose high Reynolds free surface solver developed at CNR-INSEAN. This work is focused on the prediction of the complex free-surface flow field generated by a deep-V planing boat at medium and high Froude numbers (from 0.6 up1.2). In the present work, the planing hull is treated as a two-degree-of-freedom rigid object. Flow fieldcharacterized by the presence of thin water sheets, several energetic breaking waves and plungings. The computational results include convergence of the trim angle, sinkage and resistance under grid refinement; high-quality experimental data are used for the purposes of validation, allowing to compare the hydrodynamic forces and the attitudes assumed at different velocities. A very good agreement between numerical and experimental results demonstrates the reliability of the single-phase level set approach for the predictions of high Froude numbers flows.