A paving algorithm for dynamic generation of quadrilateral meshes for online numerical simulations of ship manoeuvring in shallow water

A modified paving algorithm is presented for dynamical generation of all-quadrangle meshes for simulating hydrodynamic interaction forces acting upon ships manoeuvring in restricted waters. The so-called hybrid smoother, combining advantages of the Laplacian and angle-based techniques is proposed to achieve the balance between the computational efficiency and quality of the mesh. Special attention is paid to the accuracy and robustness of the algorithm to guarantee its flawless performance in online simulations. Consistency of the algorithm is demonstrated on numerical examples including those of one or more ships crossing a dredged channel at oblique angle. In addition, possible applications to other problems of ocean and coastal engineering are briefly discussed.