CFD FOR OPTIMISING HULL DESING AND COMPARING ENERGY SYSTEMS

Pushboat-barge convoys offer great flexibility for inland cargo transport, being able to transport cargo on extremely shallow rivers. However, the meandering nature of rivers requires the convoys to have optimal manoeuvrability performance. The rotatable azimuthing thrusters can serve as an interesting alternative to conventional shaft lines. But how does this affect powering performance and efficiency?
Comparing azimuthing thrusters and conventional shaft lines for propulsive efficiency of pushboat-barge convoys is a typical example of using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
The calculations are performed with propulsors underneath the pushboat combined with open-water conditions to gain a better understanding of the propeller-hull interaction effects. The flow around the pushboat-barge convoy is computed with our CFD code ReFRESCO for viscous flows, while the propeller flow is calculated using a Boundary Element Method. For both propulsion systems MARIN will continue research using manoeuvring simulations in typical river conditions.