Comparative Analysis of Estimation Methods for Wave Excitation Moment of Modern Yachts

Yacht design is evolving towards attractive solutions in terms of hull shape, internal decor and entertainment onboard, leading to highly customized products. Based on these constraints, the design must guarantee high comfort levels, reached by equipping the vessel with roll stabilization devices designed to operate both at anchor and in navigation. The accurate assessment of the seakeeping characteristics is essential for the successful design of the yacht and of the stabilization system. The evaluation of the ship seakeeping performance is typically performed in frequency domain based on potential flow and linear assumptions. However, it is often required to run fast simulations for the sizing of the stabilization system and based only on the main ship dimensions. In the present paper, different approaches to model the wave excitation are considered and compared: from the simplest one, when the hull form is not known to simulations based on potential flow calculation. Results are discussed based on a sample of modern yachts highlighting the performance of each approach, for an easy and practical verification of the roll behaviour of this type of vessels.