A new surface modification approach for CFD-based hull form optimization

The main focus of this study is on the development of an efficient and effective hull surface modification technique for the CFD-based hull form optimization. Two approaches are utilized. One is based on the radial basis function interpolation, and the other the sectional area curve of the hull. Both local and global modifications of hull forms can be achieved by combining these two approaches. The hull surface modification technique developed in this study is used to vary the hull forms during the optimization process, in which the objective functions associated with the resistance is evaluated by a practical design-oriented CFD tool (SSF), and a multi-objective genetic algorithm is adopted to allow for multi-design speeds. For the purpose of illustration, the KRISO container ship (KCS) is taken as an initial hull to be optimized for reduced drag at given design speeds. Numerical results obtained in this study have shown that the present hull surface modification technique can produce smooth hull forms with reduced drag effectively and efficiently in the CFD-based hull form optimization.