On Structural Design of High-Speed Craft

Abstract: The development in structural design and construction of high-speed craft has been extensive during the last decades. Environmental and economical issues have increased the need to develop more optimized structures, using new material concepts, to reduce weight and increase performance efficiency. However, both lack of, and limitations in design methodology, makes this a difficult task.In this thesis a methodological framework which enables detailed studies of the slamming loads and associated responses for high-speed planing craft in irregular waves is established. The slamming loads can either be formulated based on numerical simulations, or on experimental measurements and pressure distribution reconstruction. Structure responses are derived in the time-domain using finite element analysis. Statistical methods are used to determine design loads and lifetime extreme responses.The framework is applied to perform phenomenological studies of the slamming loading conditions for high-speed craft, and used to highlight and quantify the limitations in the prevailing semi-empirical method for design load determination with respect to slamming. A number of clarifications regarding the original derivation and the applicability of the prevailing semi-empirical method are presented. Finally, several potential improvements to the method are presented and the associated implications discussed.The long-term goal of the research project is to establish a method for direct calculation of loads and response for high-speed planing craft, which can enable design of truly efficient craft structures. The methodology and the results presented in this thesis are concluded to be important stepping-stones towards this goal.