A havelock source panel method for near-surface submarines

A panel method is described for calculating potential flow around near-surface submarines. The method uses Havelock sources which automatically satisfy the linearized free-surface boundary condition. Outputs from the method include pressure field, pressure drag, wave resistance, vertical force, trim moment and wave pattern. Comparisons are made with model tests for wave resistance of Series 58 and DARPA SUBOFF hulls, as well as with wave resistance, lift force and trim moment of three length-to-diameter variants of the DSTO Joubert submarine hull. It is found that the Havelock source panel method is capable of determining with reasonable accuracy wave resistance, vertical force and trim moment for submarine hulls. Further experimental data are required in order to assess the accuracy of the method for pressure field and wave pattern prediction. The method is implemented in the computer code “HullWave” and offers potential advantages over RANS-CFD codes in terms of speed, simplicity and robustness.     

Experimental and numerical investigations on vibration characteristics of a loaded ship model

In this paper, vibration characteristics of the structure in the finite fluid domain are analyzed using a coupled finite element method. The added mass matrix is calculated with finite element method (FEM) by 8-node acoustic fluid elements. Vibration characteristics of the structure in finite fluid domain are calculated combining structure FEM mass matrix. By writing the relevant programs, numerical analysis on vibration characteristics of a submerged cantilever rectangular plate in finite fluid domain and loaded ship model is performed. A modal identification experiment for the loaded ship model in air and in water is conducted and the experiment results verify the reliability of the numerical analysis. The numerical method can be used for further research on vibration characteristics and acoustic radiation problems of the structure in the finite fluid domain.     

Numerical calculation of supercavitating flows over the disk cavitator of a subsonic underwater projectile

To deal with the effect of compressible fluids on the supercavitating flow over the subsonic disk cavitator of a projectile, a finite volume method is formulated based on the ideal compressible potential theory. By using the continuity equation and Tait state equation as well as Riabouchinsky closure model, an “inverse problem” solution is presented for the supercavitating flow. According to the impenetrable condition on the surface of supercavity, a new iterative method for the supercavity shape is designed to deal with the effect of compressibility on the supercavity shape, pressure drag coefficient and density field. By this method, the very low cavitation number can be computed. The calculated results agree well with the experimental data and empirical formula. At the subsonic condition, the fluid compressibility will make supercavity length and radius increase. The supercavity expands, but remains spheroid. The effect on the first 1/3 part of supercavity is not obvious. The drag coefficient of projectile increases as the cavitation number or Mach number increases. With Mach number increasing, the compressibility is more and more significant. The compressibility must be considered as far as the accurate calculation of supercavitating flow is concerned.     

Effects of Temperature,Salinity, and Fluid Type on Acoustic Characteristics of Turbulent Flow Around Circular Cylinder

The effects of the temperature, salinity, and fluid type on the acoustic characteristics of turbulent flow around a circular cylinder were numerically investiga...     

Review and meta-analysis of U.K. time elasticities of travel demand

In contrast with reviews of values of time and price elasticities, the literature contains little by way of detailed reviews of travel time based choice and demand elasticities. This paper reports the most extensive meta-analysis of time-based demand elasticities yet undertaken, supplemented with a review of literature not previously in the public domain. The meta-analysis is based upon 427 direct elasticities covering travel time, generalised journey time (GJT) and service headway and drawn from 69 UK studies. The elasticities are found to vary, as expected, across attributes, and quite strong effects have been detected according to distance. We provide interesting insights into the relationship between long and short run elasticities and elasticities obtained from static models and choice models based on actual and hypothetical preferences. Significantly, the results seem to indicate that the duration for the long run demand impact to work through depends upon the periodicity of the model estimated. There is little variation apparent by journey purpose, source of the evidence, nor over time or by region/flow type, whilst travel time elasticities for high speed rail are not materially different from conventional contexts. The findings support some official elasticity recommendations and conventions but challenge others, and can be used to provide time-based elasticities where none exist or to assess new empirical evidence.     

An assessment of port reform in Argentina: outcomes and challenges ahead

During the 1990s Argentina engaged in a process of restructuring and deregulation of its ports. The main objective of the reform was to increase efficiency and service quality and to reduce the size and role of the public sector in ports. Overall, it was expected to allow the transport sector to adjust its capacity to demand changes and to facilitate international trade while contributing to the reduction of the fiscal burden of this sector. This paper shows that the reform caused significant efficiency gains, allowing a 50% drop in container terminal handling price within five years in the most important ports. The paper also identifies outstanding issues that could impact the long-run sustainability of the gains achieved. Among these issues, emphasis is given to recent horizontal and vertical mergers in the Port of Buenos Aires and their consequences in terms of actual competition and access regulation.     

Global cutting-path optimization considering the minimum heat effect with microgenetic algorithms

This article considers microgenetic algorithms (GAs), which explore in a small population with a few genetic operators, for cutting-path optimization problems. The major difference between GAs and simple genetic algorithms (SGAs) is how to make a reproductive plan for an improved searching technique because of population choice. It is shown that GAs implementation reaches the near-optimal region much earlier than the SGAs approach, and the GAs give a better solution than simulated annealing (SA). The main objective was to determine what temperature distribution can be obtained from the solution of a travelling distributed heat source. The solution of the travelling heat source on nested raw plate provides information about the vertices of each nested part of the raw plate. From the fact that the initial temperature at a piercing point strongly depends on the heat flow which stems from the previous cutting contour, the temperature of all piercing points must be lower than the critical temperature after each cutting of the components of a part. The critical temperature is identified as the mechanical melting temperature of steels. A heuristic back-tracking method is introduced to find the near-optimum cutting path considering the minimum heat effect on deformation. The heuristic back-tracking method is incorporated with the GAs.     

Extensive study on the design loads used for strength assessment of tanker and bulk carrier structures

ClassNK has undertaken wide-ranging basic research covering many aspects related to the safety of ship structures, including design loads, structural analysis, strength assessment of buckling, collapse, and fatigue, and rational corrosion margins to develop new design standards which have transparency and consistency. Among the wide-ranging basic research, this article summarizes the results of extensive work on the design loads used for strength assessments of tanker and bulk carrier structures. The main aim of the research was to develop practical estimation methods of design loads with rational technical backgrounds relating to the actual loads acting on the primary structural members of tankers and bulk carriers. During this study, we proposed the following methodology. Design sea states that closely resemble the actual sea states which are considered to be the most severe for hull structures. Find practical estimation methods for the design sea states by parametric studies using the results of series calculations on representative tankers and bulk carriers. Find practical estimation methods for design regular waves which will result in the same level of stresses as those induced in irregular waves under the design sea states. We also briefly introduced some practical estimation methods for the design loads, such as ship motions, accelerations, hull-girder bending moments, and hydrodynamic pressures that are induced under design regular waves. The findings in this study have been summarized and implemented in the new design standards for tanker and bulk carrier structures.Updated from the Japanese original which won the 2003 SNAJ prize (J Soc Nav Archit Jpn 2002; 191:195–207; 2002; 191:208–220; and 2002; 192:723–733)     

A pseudofield model approach to simulate compartment-fire phenomena for marine fire safety design

In order to prevent the spread of marine compartment fires, it is necessary to understand the governing factors or characteristics of fire-spread phenomena. We present a pseudofield model approach to this problem. We first described a field model of turbulent heat convection based on a standard k – turbulence model. Two-dimensional numerical simulations of a two-linked compartment fire were carried out in order to predict the turbulent convection flow induced by the heat released from the fire. Then a more complicated fire-spread problem of multilinked compartment fires was analyzed by means of a zone model, in which the amounts of oxygen consumption and gas generation were solved by a gas-balance equations system. The effect of threshold conditions on fire propagation and the effect of the thickness of the heat insulation were investigated with numerical simulations.