In this work, we present a ship-hull optimization process combining a T-spline based parametric ship-hull model and an Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) hydrodynamic solver for the calculation of

Economic pressures and regulatory requirements have brought about a great interest in improving ship propulsion efficiency. This can be exercised by installing Energy Saving Devices (ESD) such as Propeller Boss Cap Fins (PBCF). This paper demonstrates an approach for optimising PBCF by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. The conducted Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) CFD open water model tests were validated by comparison with experimental data until the simulation was deemed satisfactory within the capabilities and limitations of the model. A design and optimisation procedure was defined to analyse the impact of ESDs on propeller efficiency and then used to evaluate the influence of alternative geometric parameters and locations of the PBCF on the hub. This analysis was done at full scale using high fidelity CFD-based RANS methods. Outcomes of the study include a design and optimisation process that can be used for the analysis of other ESDs on the market. The influences of various PBCF geometry were examined with optimal solutions presented for the analysis case. Results indicated a net energy efficiency improvement of 1.3% contributing to a substantial minimisation of cost and energy consumption. A reduction in the hub vortex was also clearly identified and presented

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In this paper we couple collocated Boundary Element Methods (BEM) with unstructured analysis- Belibassakis et al. (2013) [4]. In this connection, this paper makes a step towards integrating modern CAD representations for ship-hulls with hydrodynamic solvers of improved accuracy and efficiency, which is a prerequisite for building efficient ship-hull optimizers.