The Waves Generated by a Trimaran

Abstract

The question of the wave generation by river vessels is one that has been studied at length by many researchers, particularly since the advent of the RiverCat, a catamaran designed specifically for operation on the Parramatta River, which leads into Sydney Harbour. There was good correlation between the measured height of the generated waves and the theoretical predictions of the wave resistance, as was shown by Doctors, Renilson, Parker, and Hornsby (1991). In the current work, we compare the wave system generated by a model trimaran with the theoretical predictions of a classic inviscid approach, called HYDROS, which has now been enhanced to include surface tension as well as viscosity, both of which are now understood to be important for small models at low speeds. As a consequence, experimental and theoretical results presented demonstrate the effectiveness of the stagger (longitudinal position) of the sidehulls of the trimaran, along with depth and Fn combinations, on its wavegenerating characteristics.