Aspects of twin screw ships semi-empirical maneuvering models

Simplified mathematical models based upon semi-empirical regression formulae describing forces and moments acting on the hull during manoeuvres are commonly used for the preliminary evaluation of ship steering capabilities. Many semi-empirical regressions have been developed, and are broadly adopted, for the manoeuvrability prediction of single screw slow/medium speed ships. Their application for the study of twin screw vessels (cruise ships, RoRo ferries, megayachts, naval vessels, for which dedicated regression formulae are scarce) manoeuvring capabilities could lead to misleading results. These ships are usually characterised by different hull forms and more complex stern configuration due to the presence of appendages like skegs, shaft lines and brackets, which can strongly affect manoeuvrability behaviour. In this work a novel procedure to properly account for the particular geometric and stern appendage characteristics of these kind of vessels is described. A thorough analysis has been performed on a ship model equipped with 13 different stern appendage configurations and new formulae have been developed in order to describe accurately their influence on ship manoeuvring behaviour.

► Prediction tools for twin screw ships maneuverability at early design stages are considered.
► Existing semiempirical regressions may lead to very large errors.
► Ship appendages configuration affects significantly ship maneuverability.
► A semiempirical method to consider different appendages configuration is presented.
► Discrepancy between predictions and experimental data is reduced.