Analytical modelling of ship collision based on full-scale experiments

This paper presents a theoretical model allowing us to predict the consequences of ship–ship collision where large forces arise due to the sloshing in ship ballast tanks. The model considers the inertia forces of the moving bodies, the effects of the surrounding water, the elastic bending of the hull girder of the struck ship, the elasticity of the deformed ship structures and the sloshing effects in partially filled ballast tanks. The study focuses on external dynamics. Internal mechanics, presenting the collision force as a function of penetration, was obtained from experiments. The model was validated with two full-scale collision experiments, one with a significant sloshing effect and the other without it. The comparison of the calculations and the measurements revealed that the model predictions were in good agreement, as the errors at the maximum value of penetration were less than 10%.