Path-Following Control Problem Using CFD

An accurate prediction of the performance of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) to follow a predefined path in waves is of critical importance for ensuring safe autonomous marine navigation. Traditional methods for the study of path-following problems are based on simplified mathematical ship models and are incapable of precisely resolving the complicated interactions between the hull, propeller, rudder, and incident waves under path-following control. In this project, a CFD-based dynamic model for path-following problems is developed for autonomous marine navigation by means of a fully nonlinear unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver combined with the Line-of-Sight (LOS) guidance law. Fortunately, an unsteady RANS solver is capable of incorporating viscous and turbulent effects and the free surface resolution critical to path-following problems, allowing a better prediction of a ship’s path-following performance in waves. To obtain practical insight into the performance of the ship executing path-following control for autonomous navigation in waves, a comprehensive analysis of path-following tasks in waves covering the whole range of important wave directions and wave heights was carried out in this project. As high-performance computational resources become increasingly available, the proposed CFD method will provide an accurate and efficient way to predict the performance of autonomous surface ships performing path-following tasks in waves, providing a valuable contribution to enhancing the safety of autonomous marine navigation.

For more information about the project contact Prof Atilla Incecik (atilla.incecik@strath.ac.uk) Professor at the Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering or Daejeong Kim (daejeong.kim@strath.ac.uk), Research Associate at the Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering.

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