Abstract:
The maritime domain is characterized by its dynamic and challenging nature, where naval vessels must navigate through diverse sea conditions to fulfill their operational objectives. Among the various factors influencing a ship's performance at sea, hull design plays a crucial role. In particular, the choice between an inverted bow and a conventional bow significantly impacts a navy ship's seakeeping capabilities. Seakeeping performance is a paramount consideration for naval architects and ship designers, as it directly influences a vessel's stability, maneuverability, and overall operability in adverse sea states. The conventional bow, with its familiar pointed shape, has been a longstanding design in naval architecture. However, the inverted bow, featuring a reversed slope, has gained attention in recent years for its potential advantages in enhancing seakeeping performance. This thesis aims to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of the seakeeping performance between navy ships equipped with both inverted and conventional bows. By examining various aspects such as wave resistance, stability, and maneuverability, we seek to provide valuable insights into the advantages and disadvantages of each hull design in different sea conditions. The significance of this research lies in its potential to inform future naval vessel design decisions, enabling naval architects to optimize seakeeping performance based on operational requirements. As navies continue to face evolving threats and challenges, understanding the implications of hull design on seakeeping performance becomes imperative for ensuring the effectiveness and safety of naval operations. The subsequent chapters of this thesis will delve into the theoretical foundations, computational simulations, and empirical studies conducted to assess the seakeeping performance of navy ships with inverted and conventional bows. Through a systematic and thorough examination, we aim to contribute to the existing body of knowledge in naval architecture and guide the future development of naval vessels for enhanced performance at sea.
