Blade Bulbous Bow Concept Application Research Using Commercial CFD software

Abstract

From one port to another one, much faster as possible. Much cheaper as possible. Much more comfortable. Bulbous bow’s purposes are to fight against head wave impact and decrease drag from wave generating resistance. These two actions cover such important sections as financial costs (fuel consumption, hull maintenance cost), transportation time (seakeeping, ship’s velocity), comfort for passengers and crew (vibration, wave shock impact). Application of bulbous bow helps to significantly reduce all above listed costs, journey time and improve people’s health condition onboard. Electronic equipment undergoes less shock and has less risk to be damaged due to wave impact on fore-part. Hull vibration levels may also be reduced by high values and frequencies. But still, there is no limit to try to improve bulbous bow’s performance further. In this thesis the author will describe and provide the results from research made to find out about applicability of new concept of bulbous bow – blade bulbous bow – on a middle-size semi-displacement cruise yachts. The new bow application already had obtained positive reviews in naval/maritime theme magazines. Here below some articles will be provided as side overview of existing vessels aiming such a bow.