The application of Biomimetic Tubercles on a Ship Hull

Mr. Alessandro Marino is using ARCHI-WeSt to run CFD simulations on STAR-CCM+ to investigate the hydrodynamic phenomena generated by biomimetic tubercles on fully submerged flat plates and marine structures. CFD simulations are also used to model the Fully Turbulent Flow Channel (FTFC), the new experimental facility recently purchased and calibrated by the department of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering, which will be used to perform physical tests of the same tubercles on flat panels in a fully turbulent regime.

This research project lies in the field of ship hydrodynamics. The tubercles act as vortex generators and change the flow’s characteristics, e.g. in terms of velocity, pressure, vorticity.

Fig. 1. Velocity, pressure and vorticity

The simulations run with Archie-WeSt will include comparison of different turbulent models, as well as more complex marine structures, such as ship hulls and wing profiles.

The outcome of the work carried out with the aid of the HPC will be a substantial part of the student’s final PhD thesis. The data obtained will also be used for academic publications, including conference and journal papers.

For more information about the project contact Dr Yigit Kemal Demirel (yigit.demirel@strath.ac.uk), Senior Lecturer at the Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering at the University of Strathclyde.

For a list of the research areas in which ARCHIE-WeSt users are active please click here.