Journal of Ship Research, Vol. 21, No. 3, Sept. 1977, pp.
157-164
Unsteady Hydrodynamic Interactions Between Ships
G. W. King 1
A model is developed for the hydrodynamic interactions between any number of thin cylindrical bodies in
unsteady two-dimensional motion on straight parallel paths. The model is applicable to interactions be-
tween ships in very shallow water, and enables prediction of the sway force and yaw moment on any one
ship due to the others. Particular maneuvers include ships passing each other in opposite directions, over-
taking of one ship by another, and a ship moving past a stationary moored ship. A numerical method is de-
veloped, and results obtained for a range of two-ship interaction problems compare satisfactorily with ex-
perimental observations.
Introduction
A PROBLEM of interest in a number of different areas of appli-
cation is the calculation of interaction forces and moments acting
on two or more bodies moving in a fluid in close proximity to each
other. There are applications in both hydrodynamics and aero-
dynamics, although in the present paper we have in mind mainly
ship-ship interactions.
In steady ship hydrodynamics, the calculation of forces and
moments on two ships during refuelling or station-keeping is the
main application. The situation when vessels are stationary rel-
ative to each other and the flow is steady was treated by Tuck and
Newman [1].2 The two-dimensional results in their paper are also
directly applicable to a ship moving steadily along a bank (also see
Newman [2]). Tuck and Newman also proposed an unsteady
slender-body theory which is applicable to two ships passing in
water of infinite depth or to a ship passing a moored vessel or an
obstacle, as shown by Wang [8]. The unsteady situation of two
ships passing in shallow water is of interest in the light of collisions
between ships in restricted waterways, and here we set up a
mathematical model for the two-dimensional unsteady interactions
between bodies. The two dimensional theory is appropriate to
very shallow water, of depth close to the draft of the ship, as Tuck
[4] has shown that flow past a vessel in shallow water with a small
bottom clearance is nearly two-dimensional,
The motion of a ship near a bank is analogous to the aerody-
namics of a wing in ground effect, and can be treated by the
method of images. For the ground-effect problem both two-
dimensional and three-dimensional analytic solutions have been
developed by Widnall and Barrows [5]. The numerical solution
which we obtain can be used to determine the unsteady motion
of a ground-effect vehicle moving in a channel.
A nonlinear numerical technique for the interactions between
bodies in arbitrary motion has been devised by Giesing [6]. His
theory is for two-dimensional potential flow and is used to examine
the shape of the vortex wakes as well as the forces on the bodies.
Since wake movement is a nonlinear phenomenon it does not occur
in our linearized theory.
Another possible field of application is the aerodynamics of the
interactions between motor vehicles. This is a ground effect
problem to which much experimental effort has been devoted, and
a number of papers giving experimental results have been pub-
lished. Brown's [7] paper is related to this topic, and [8] contains
several other relevant papers.
1 Graduate student, Applied Mathematics Department, University of
Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
z Numbers in brackets designate References at end of paper.
Manuscript received at SNAME headquarters April 28, 1976; revised
manuscript received December 1, 1976.
SEPTEMBER 1977
First we set up a mathematical model of the two-dimensional
motion of a group of thin bodies and their respective wakes, in a
fluid which is assumed incompressible and inviscid. The Froude
number is assumed to be sufficiently small, so that free-surface
effects can be neglected. It is also assumed that the lateral sepa-
ration between bodies is comparable with their lengths, and large
compared with their beams. Following Tuck and Newman in an
extension of classical thin-wing theory, the model is formulated
as a system of coupled singular integral equations which have
nonunique solutions. The solution which is feasible for a given
problem is obtained by using a Kutta condition on moving bodies,
and by having zero circulation around stationary bodies. A suit-
able condition for finding the rate of vortex shedding into the wake
of each body is also required.
A numerical procedure for finding a solution according to this
theory is developed, and the results obtained are compared with
the experiments of Oltmann [9] and the theory of Collatz [10].
Here the results show reasonable agreement for the sway force with
Ohmann's experiments and in this respect seem to be an im-
provement on Collatz's theory. The calculated yaw moment is
not significantly better than that resulting from Collatz's theo-
ry.
Derivation of system of integral equations
We consider the motion in two dimensions of N thin bodies, all
moving with possibly time-varying velocity parallel to the x-axis.
We find it useful to consider this problem in an absolute frame of
reference (that is, fluid at rest at infinity). Thus, for a velocity
potential fb(x,y,t) and velocity q(x,y,t):
q = VqS, where ~b---- 0 at o~ (1)
The geometry of the jth body, when it is moving to the left, is
represented as in Fig. 1. The body surfaces are given by
Y = Yl + fti(x,t), ai(t) < x < bl(t ) (2)
with a plus sign for the upper surface and a minus sign for the lower
surface. The body segment Bj is represented by the interval aj(t)
< x < bl(t ) and, for a body moving to the left, the wake segment
Wj by the interval bt(t) < x < o~. For body j the exact boundary
condition is
-- - -- , o n y = Y1 4- f1 ~ (3)
~y /)t ~x ~x
since the fluid cannot penetrate the body surface. For a thin body,
this can be linearized to give
¢by(x,yy 4- O,t) = -~ fi+(x,t), on B i (4)
157
 - - - uj(~)

y: yj+fj*<x,t)

11y: ~,f(x, tl, 1

I I

,, J ,
I I
ajIt) bj(t)
Fig. 1 Geometryof jth body

We shall require that there be no pressure jump across the wake, Cy(x,yi -t- O,t) = 4-i/zm~(x,t )
so our wake condition is N y,_yj
+ ~ d~
Ap = p(x,y I + O,t) -- p(x,y t -- 0,t) = 0, across Wi (5) (1~i) ,./Bj 2r (X -- ~)2 -F (Yi -- yj)2
j=i
The linearized Bernoulli equation gives
j=~ j+wj 27r (x - ()2 + (U~ - yj)2 d(
P = - P bt
~ f,+(x,t), i = 1. . . . . N (12)
ot
so from(5)
Subtracting the plus and minus parts of equation (12) gives
Ap = - p A -~- = 0, across wake (6)
m~(x,t) = ~ {fi+(x,t)-fi-(x,t)}, i = 1. . . . . N (18)
Therefore
This is equivalent to the usual aerodynamic relation for the source
~rfl strength in terms of the slope of the thickness function, recalling
A = 0, across wake (7) that we are travelifig in a frame of reference fixed in space, so that
the jth body is moving. Thus the source strength is completely
Thus A~b = c~(x,y i + 0,t) - ¢o(x,yi - O,t) is a function of x only determined.
across the wake W t. Adding the plus and minus parts gives the system of integral
It is now useful to define the vortex strength 71(x,t) on y = Yi equations
by
i)
(8) x - ~ ~, - y j / C d~
j ~ l l ~ , O ( ~ , t ) [(x - ~/~+ q
71(x't) = - ~x A@, across y = gl
= F~'(x,t) + C~'(x,t) + Hi'(x,t), i = 1. . . . . N (14)
/ 0 ahead of B 1 where a prime denotes b / b x and where
= / unknown on Bj
(9) F,'(x,t) = -~ {f~ + (x,t) + f~-(x,t)l (15)
\
'r~(x), on W~
-
~" (y~ - YJ) r,yBj (x - ~)2
G~'(x,t) = - Irl (t~) mi(~'t)d
+ (y~ _ yj)2 (16)
As with conventional thin-wing theory, the lifting effects are
modeled by vortices of strength T~(x,t) on Bj + Wi and the 1=1
thickness effects are modeled by sources of strength m,(x,t) on Bj. and
Hence the disturbance velocity potential due to N boclies has the 1
representation H[(x,t) Yw (x - ~)7iw(~)d~ (17)
7rl=l j
These three functions are all known once 3,1t°(x) = "yi(x,t), x C
¢~(x,y,t)= 1=1
~ {~t mj(~'t)ll°gx/(x-~)2+ (Y-YJ)2d~ Wj is known. To determine this last quantity 3,1w, some means
of tinding the vorticity shed into the wake is required.
As the system of integral equations (14) does not possess a unique
+ ~ l + w j 3q(~,t) ~-~
1 arctan ( ~ ) d ~ } (10) solution, an additional condition for each body is required. If a
body is moving we require a Kutta condition on the trailing edge
The branch of the arctan function must be chosen so that any of the body. From Sears [11] the appropriate condition is that the
discontinuity in the potential function occurs across a wake, so that vorticity at the trailing edge of a body be equal to the vortieity in
the velocity potential satisfies the wake immediately adjacent; that is, for moving body j
"yj(bj(t),t) = 3,jw(b¢(t)) (18)
~)'--x-= - 3'i w, across W j (11)
For a stationary body, Kelvin's circulation theorem must be
satisfied for a closed curve around that body. So for body j sta-
The velocity potential q5 must also satisfy the body boundary tionary the circulation Fj(t) around that body must be zero, that
condition (4). So, if x E Bi, equations (4) and (10) give is

158 JOURNAL OF SHIP RESEARCH

 First, we perform an indefinite integration of the system of singular
r~(t) = J,~ 71(~,t)d~= 0 (19) integral equations, which gives

By using the Kutta condition and the zero circulation condition 1~=1~ ~ 71(~,t) l o g x / ( x - ~ ) ~ + ( Y , - Y , ) 2 d ~
where appropriate, we can determine the unique solution for a
given problem. = F,(x,t) + G,(x,t) + H,(x,t) + Ci(t), i = 1. . . . . N (24)

where F~(x,t), G~(x,t) and H~(x,t) are indefinite integrals of Fi'(x,t),

Forces and moments G~'(x,t), and H/(x,t), respectively, and C~(t) is an arbitrary
The quantities which are of most interest in this problem are the "constant" of integration.
sway force and yaw moments on the bodies. F r o m the linearized Suitable integrals for F~, G~ and Ht are
Bernoulli equation the pressure j u m p across body j is given by
equation (6) and from equation (8) F~(x,t) = f a ,I,I
x '~~ {f' + (x,t) + / , - ( x , t ) l d~ (25)

A~ = - (x,t)dx, across y = Yi (20)

~aatlt ) "Y] rr (1~i) i mi(~'t) arctan d~ (26)
The net y-directed sway force on body j is
\x-~/
i=1
Yl(t) = - £ Apdx (21) and
t
so from equations (6) and (20) Ht(x,t) _1
7r/=l ywj -rj~(~) log,,/(~ - ~)2 + (u, _ yj)2 d~
Yj(t) = - p -~ 71(f,t)df dx (22) (27)
j j(t)
The net yaw m o m e n t about the center of the j t h body is The nonuniqueness of the solutions here asserts itself as the "con-
stants" Ct(t), which are determined by the vortex-shedding con-
Nj(t) = - £ (x - (aj(t) + bj(t))/2)~p dx dition.
1 To find a numerical solution, we shall need to divide the body
segments B.1 and the wake segments W.I into intervals in which the
= 1/zp
2 t
(al(t) + b~(t) - 2x) ~0
Ya; (t) 3,j(f,t)dfdx (23) vorticity can be represented by step functions. At the ends of each
body segment, we anticipate a square-root singularity. So we
The sway force is defined to be positive to starboard and the yaw divide Bj into intervals x¢,-i < x < xj~ with vorticity 2q~(t),
m o m e n t positive for the bow turning to starboard. where
al(t) + hi(t)
Numerical procedure 2
The procedure we adopt for solving the system of integral i = 0,1 . . . . . M (28)
equations numerically involves replacing integration by summa-
tion and the subsequent inversion of a matrix. The solution of the which provides the right increase in density of points near the ends
system is nonunique until the vortex-shedding condition is applied. in order to counter the singularities.

,Nomenclature
A(t) = NM X NM matrix k= subscript
A~j(t) = ijth element of A(t) L = length of body = / t h central mesh point on length
at(t ) = position on x-axis of front of LM = length of moving body of body j
body j Ls = length of stationary body Yl(t) = sway force on body ]
B1 = interval of x-axis occupied by l= subscript y= coordinate on vertical axis
body ] M = number of mesh points on body yj = y-coordinate of path of jth body
bl(t ) = position on x-axis of rear of mj(x,t) = source distribution on body j fl = half-breadth of bodies in example
body i N= number of bodies I'l(t ) = circulation around body j
Cl(t ) = nonuniqueness "constants" in Nj(t) = yaw moment on body j "yt(x,t) = vortex strength along y = Y1
integral equations p= pressure 7(t) = NM X 1 solution vector of matrix
e(1) = N X 1 vector of O's and l's Plk = x-coordinate of trailing edge of equation
F~(x,t) = term on right-hand side of body j at time-step k 7it(t) = vorticity on y = YY and between
integral equation for body i q(x,y,t) = velocity xlt_l and xy~
ft + (x,t) = planform of upper surface of S = stagger-lateral separation 3,tkw = vorticity in wake on y = yj at
body j T = number of time steps time step k
fj-(x,t) = planform of lower surface of t = time •y(0(t) = see equation (40)
body ] Uj(t) -= velocity of trailing edge of body ~"= dummy variable
G~(x,t) = same as for F~ j at time t 7/= dummy variable
g(t) = N X 1 vector on right-hand side Wj -= segment of x-axis occupied by = dummy variable
of matrix equation wake of body j p= density of fluid
H~(x,t) = same as for F~ x = coordinate on horizontal axis dp(x,y,t) = velocity potential function
i = subscript xj~ = ith mesh point on length of x = "specially defined" function; see
] = subscript body ] equation (81)

SEPTEMBER 1977 159

 1-5 Oltmann experiments
- tiefgetaucht Fn-0.~4
t: - Fn:o.499
• flachgelaucht Fn.0.~41
.• 1.0 o ..
....
Fn.o.5oo
Collatz
\
• //I -
O,5 !

/~) ",% O //
/_//
\ /

0
.~-~5

-1"0 I , L
-2 -1 1 2

Body Leaving Stogger ~0-5 L Body Approaching

Fig. 2 Sway force Y/pU2fl on moving body for two identical elliptical bodies with r/ = 0.625(1/2L)
(for explanation of descriptions, see text)

We model numerically the motion of the bodies by a time- N M

stepping process, assuming a constant vorticity is shed into the wake E ~. A(t)(i-1)M+l,(t-1)M+k 7jk(t)
k=l 1=1
from one time-step to the next. So, if we let the sequence of
time-steps be O , t b t 2 , . . . and the position of the trailing edge of = Fdxa,t) + G~(xa,t) + H,(~a,t) + C,(t)
body j at these time-steps be pie, Pil, pi2, • . ., then, if vorticity i= 1,...,N, l = 1. . . . . M (35)
39k W is shed by body j at time point- tk, -the vorticity of the wake
This can be written in terms of the (NM × N M ) matrix
in the interval (Pjk+ 1, Plk) is 3,tk'~.
The system of integral equations may now be written as A(t) = [aq(t)]

ZN -1 EM ~,jk(t) f ~ J k log v ~ ( x - ~)2+ ( Y i - Yj)2d~ and the NM-vectors

1=1 ~ k=l .JXlk+ 1
= F,(x,t) + C,(x,t) + u,(~,t) + c~(t), i = 1. . . . . N (29) 'Z/,,(t)-- "F,(~l,,t ) + G,(rq,,t) + H,(~,,,t)
The integral m a y be evaluated analytically at any value of x, and
we chose x = Xil where ~]l is a point near the center of t h e / t h in- 71M(t) ),(~,M,t) + GI(2,M,t ) + HI(TC,M,t )
terval of body j, specifically 72~(t) F,(K2,,t ) + G2(~2.t ) + H2(E~.t)
7(t) = , g(t) = "
Xjl = -l/zlaj(t) - bi(t)lcos[(1- l/z)Tr/M] + aj(t) + bj(t)
2 ?N~(t) FN(.~N,, t) + GN(TCN,,t)+ HN(EN.t)
l = 1,2 . . . . . M (30)
~_~vM( tJ F N('2NM, t ) + GN(~NM, t) + HN(~NM, t
It is now useful to define the kernel function
(36
x(x,~,~?) = f logv~(x - ~)2 + 0z d~
-o'-II
=-(x-~)logV'ix-~)z+ ~z+ ~ a r c t a n ~ _ ~ (31) • i|

0 I/ j- 1> -te ms
in terms of which we have I

e0) = " " M terms

. I I
(37)
1=1 k=l 7r ' ! !l
= Fi(xa,t) + G,(xil,t) + Hi(xil,t) -4- C,(t) 0 I~
i = 1. . . . . N, l = 1. . . . . M (32) "" NM --jM terms
I I I

and if T time-steps have elapsed .0_1~

T=I
H,(X,l,t) = __ __
1 ~ E =pjk
"Yjkw[X(Xil,~,~t- Yl)]I=plk+l
.

(~) as
7rj=l k=0
N
By letting A(t)~(t) = g(t) + ~ #J)Cj(t) (38)
1=1
A(t)(t-~)M+l,(i-~)M+k = 1__
7r [X(~il,~,y i _ y])]i=.x~_l (34) The solution 3'(t) is obtained by using standard matrix inversion
techniques with the N + 1 right-hand sides g(t), e (l), 1 = 1. . . . . N
we can write and can be written as

160 JOURNAL OF SHIP RESEARCH

 Oltmann Experiments'
• tiefgetaucht Fn- 0-217
o Fn.O.497
• flachgetaucht Fn-0.209
, o .. Fn,,0.496
t- 2 ~.~\ . . . . Collatz
.0_ i ©
[3 "
/
12 o c~ // \\ \\\\\\
9 //
///o
I //
O ///
_ ~ . . . . LL_ -- \\\~ 4. . . . . . I

• l
1

O-
O
,v -2

-2 -t 1

Body Leoving Stagger ~ 5 t Body Approaching

Fig. 3 Sway force Y/pU2t3on stationary body for two identical elliptical bodies with r/= 0.625(1/2L)

"y(t) = T(°)(t) + t~=l Ct(t)T(t)(t) (39) involve the inversion of very large matrices with a consequent
increase in the time and computer memory space required. The
where numerical method has been tested for convergence by varying beth
the number of mesh points on each body and the size of each
?(0)(t) = A - l ( t ) g ( t ) time-step for interactions involving two bodies traveling in the
same direction. The convergence was found to be satisfactory for
and the results presented in this paper if 30 mesh points were taken on
each body and the time-steps were such that a change in the
"yq)(t) = A - ] ( t ) e (0, I = 1. . . . . N (40) stagger of about one twentieth of the length of the larger body
occurred in each time-step.
This is a numerical approximation to a corresponding repre-
sentation of the actual vortex strength 3,i(x,t), namely
N Results for passing of a stationary ship
3,j(x,t) = 71(°)(x,t) + ~, Ct(t)~'j(t)(x,t), j = 1 . . . . . N (41) Oltmann [9] has obtained experimental results for two elliptic-
l=1
sectioned cylinders with beam/length = 0.125, with one body
Thus we have determined a numerical approximation to the stationary and the other moving at a constant speed. In Figs. 2
general solution of N singular integral equations, with C1, j = and 3 we compare the measurements of Oltmann's experiments
1 , . . . ,M as arbitrary constants. with values computed using the foregoing formulation of the net
For a stationary body the appropriate relation for the C i's is sway force for a separation between the bodies of 0.625 (1/~L).
obtained from equation (19). For a moving body j, we follow the Oltmann's results are somewhat dependent on the velocity of the
procedure used by Tuck [12] of fitting a function of the form moving body, whereas, from the preceding formulation, it can be
seen that our uondimensional force and moment results are inde-
D pendent of Froude number, being the zero-Froude number limits.
= ~ + E + 0(v~/t) - ~) (42)
Ohmann's experiments were conducted in the presence of a free
to the last two mesh elements o/{that body. B~ fitting this function surface so the wave pattern of the moving body may have affected
to the last two elements 7jm ( ) and h'i(m-1) ( ) on body i the two his results. In the "tiefgetaucht" case, the measurements were
constants D = Dj I and E = Ej t may be determined for each body taken deeper in the fluid than in the "flachgetaucht," so we would
j and each value of l(l = 0 . . . . . N). So that a finite vorticity is expect the "tiefgetaucht'" results to be less affected by free-surface
obtained on the trailing edge, the sum over l of the inverse effects.
square-root terms must be zero, that is The computed results in Figs. 2 and 3 seem to give reasonable
N
quantitative agreement with the experiments. There is good
Dj ° + ~, CtDI l = 0 (43) qualitative agreement with the peak attraction force in the "tief-
/=1 getaucht" case at Froude number Fn = 0.144 and 0.217. In Fig.
and the vorticity at the trailing edge is 2 the peak attraction force on the moving body is much larger than
N
the peak repulsion force, so that for ships in passing maneuvers the
71(bl(t),t) = El° + ~ CIEi I (44) moving ship will tend to be attracted more than it is repelled, thus
1=1 giving rise to the danger of a collision. In fact the moving body
Thus equations (19) and (43) can be used to determine the constants is experiencing a large attraction force for a range of stagger S/1/sL
Cj, ] = 1. . . . . N. of over half a body length.
Only results for the case N = 2 (that is, for interactions between In a previous study on this topic by Collatz [10], in which no
two bodies) have been obtained so far. Although the formulation circulation was allowed about the bodies and no Kutta condition
was for N bodies, results for N > 2 would either be inaccurate or applied on the trailing edge, a force which is symmetric with re-

SEPTEMBER 1977 161

 ,,~ 04

.~ 0-2 0 //
, /

O ~
/
*--- ----,. . . . . . . . . . - -
............... /--~-I

"-.~ / / ill X /
\ /
-0-2 \ \ // / u o
ill \ 0 t
\ I
/
i

~-0.4 o
{ •
0 o
?: -O.6

I11
o
-0-8 , ' "
-2 -1 0 1 2
Body Leaving Stagger ~ L Body Approaching

Fig. 4 Yaw moment N/(pU2flL/2) on moving body for two identical elliptic bodies with n = 0.625(1/2 L)

0'6
o // \\
w O-4 / t %\
C~ /// \\\
°

0.2 • / \

ii / "%~%

-o.2 \ i/
\\ ~ /,"
X [] i//
~*0-4 X

O
-0,6

-i - 0 i

Body Leaving Stagger "~SL Body Approaching

Fig. 5 Yaw moment N/(pU21~L/2) on stationary body for two identical elliptic bodies with 7/= 0.625(1/2L)

spect to stagger was obtained. The results in Fig. 2 of the present
theory are quite different to those of Collatz and do not show
particularly symmetric behaviour. In this respect the present
theory is more satisfactory, as one would expect the wake to in-
troduce some asymmetry.
In Fig. 9, for the stationary body, we see a close correspondence
between Collatz's and our computed results, both gNing good
agreement with Oltmann's experiments. This is not surprising
as Collatz's zero-circulation assumption is the condition we applied
to the stationary body [equation (19)].
If we look at the graphs of the yaw moment, Figs. 4 and 5, on
the two bodies and compare them with Oltmann's experimental
results, we see that they are of the right magnitude, although the
shapes of the curves are very different. Collatz's theory fails to
give better agreement for the moving body although it gives good
results for the stationary body. The present computed results for
the stationary body are of a similar shape to CoUatz's but are
smaller in magnitude. For passing ships the danger of a collision
is highlighted by Fig. 4, which shows the peak inward moment
occurring at the same time as the peak attraction force, so the
bodies are not only being sucked together but their bows are both
turning inward, as well.
Figures 6 and 7 show the variation in the sway force as the length
ratio (Ls/Lm)of the two bodies is varied, at a separation of 0.625
Lm, with the two bodies having the same breadth (breadth/Lm
= 0.125). Figures 8 and 9 show the peak attraction and repulsion

162 JOURNAL OF SHIP RESEARCH

 LyEm
1-5 -5 . . . . .
•7 5 . . . . . . . .

1.o
•~. 1-5

1-o ~ ", \ 2-0

~ \ \,
///'---"\
0

// // '\.~ \, \
.----~,_.. i
,1
/
I / /7
t!i
"\)\\ ',, \ _-
/ ,I A.
"\",, I/,,. "\\ .-- ./
c-
O U- " ~ ~ . 2 " ~ _~
~./ \~..Ii~...-,- -"

_~ . . . . . . -i o i
Body Leaving Stagger S/~SLm Body Approaching
Rg. 6 Swayforce Y/pU2flon moving body for r/= 0.625(1/sLM)

/
e-
0

/' / , / ~
,
/" //
/ j'/
•
___.~._.,.,., , ~~ . !
I ,~,r
/jT

]
i o

Stacjger ,~O,SLm Body 1~x~cl~ncj

Fig. 7 Swayforce Y/pU2~on stationarybody for r/= 0,625(1/2LM)

forces corresponding to the results in Figs. 6 and 7.
For the moving body we can see that the effect of varying the
length ratio gives two different kinds of responses, depending upon
which body is the larger. When the stationary body is the larger
(that is, Ls/Lm > 1), increasing the length-ratio does not change
the value of the peak attraction and repulsion forces, but increases
the length of stagger over which a large attraction force is acting
on the moving body. When the moving body is longer and the
length-ratio decreases, the shape of the curve does not change
greatly but the magnitude of the attractive force decreases rapidly.
Figure 8 shows that the peak repulsion force varies slowly as the
length ratio increases.
It appears that there is a limiting value to the peak force. It may
be worthwhile to investigate this further as in situations when a
ship passes a stationary ship (ship, island, sandbank, etc.) the force
and moment on the moving vessel are of importance.
For the stationary body (Figs. 7 and 9), increasing the length
ratio leads to an increase in the peak values of both the attraction
and repulsion sway force. The peak attraction force occurs further
away from zero stagger as the length ratio increases.
As the separation of the two bodies depends on the length of the
moving body, for a larger moving body (that is, smaller length
ratio) the separation is greater, so we would expect the force to
decrease, and this can be seen in Fig. 8. For the stationary body
Fig. 9 shows that the peak sway force increases as the length ratio
increases (that is, bodies closer together or stationary body larger),
and there is no behavior analogous to that seen for the moving
body. In general it appears that for a body passing a smaller sta-
tionary body the force on the stationary body is greater than that
on the moving body. This is important for berthed ships or ships
moored to buoys as they will experience the greater force, not the
ship moving past them.
The variation in peak force-on two ellipses of equal size (one
stationary, the other moving) for different values of the separation
is shown in Fig. 10. The force increases as the separation de-
creases, as would be expected.

SEPTEMBER 1977 163

 2

I-0

f
f ]

%--- & 1:0 1:5 ~o

Fig, 8 Variation of peak sway force Y/pU2fl on moving body for r/ ----
0.625(t/2LM) o
-2 .4 -6 -8 1-0

Fig. 10 Variation of peak sway force Y/pU2t3on two identical bodies as

3~ the separation changes
[
I
I
2 References
1 Tuck, E. O. and Newman, J. N., "Hydrodynamic Interactions
Between Ships," Tenth Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics, 1975, pp.
28-51.
2 Newman, J. N., "Lateral Motion of a Slender Body Between Two
Parallel Walls," Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1969, Vol. 89, Part 1, pp.
97-115.
8 Wang, S., "'Forces and Moment on a Moored Vessel Due to a
Passing Ship," Discussion to Tuck and Newman "Hydrodynamic Inter-
d5 i:0 ........ 1:5 2--b-- actions Between Ships," Tenth Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics,
1975.
4 Tuck, E. O., "Shallow Water Flows Past Slender Bodies," Journal
of Fluid Mechanics, Vol. 26, lg66, pp. 81-95.
5 Widnall, S. E. and Barrows, T. M., "An Analytic Solution for Two-
Fig. 9 variation of peak sway force Y/pU2t~on stationary body for r / = and Three-Dimensional Wings in Ground Effect," Journal of Fluid
0.625(1/2LM) Mechanics, Vol. 42, 1970, pp. 769-792.
6 Giesing, J. P., "Nonlinear Interaction of Two Lifting Bodies in
Arbitrary Unsteady Motion," Trans. ASME, Series D, Journal of Basic
Although these results are interesting and useful as a qualitative Engineering, Vol. 90, Sept. 1968, pp. 387-894.
7 Brown, G. ]. and Seemann, G. R., "An Experimental Investigation
guideline, for practical applications with significant underkeel of the Unsteady Aerodynamics of Passing HighwaY Vehicles," Distributed
clearance, they should be viewed with caution as the clearance is by N.T.I.S., 1972.
important in altering the magnitude of forces and moments. The 8 Advances in Road Vehicle Aerodynamics, N. S. Stephens, Ed.,
method presented here can easily be extended to allow for finite B.H.R.A. Fluid Engineering, 1973.
bottom clearance by using slender-body results and a matching 9 Ohmann, P., "Experimentelle Untersuchung der hydrodynam-
procedure as suggested by Tuck and Newman [1]. At present this ischen Wechselwinkung Schiffs~hnlicher K6rper," Schiff und Hafen, Vol.
22, 1970, pp. 701,709.
is being investigated together with extensions to the results pre- 10 Collatz, G., "Potentiahheoretsiche Untersuchung der hydrody-
sented• namischen Wechselwinkung zweier Schiffsk6rper," Jahrbuch Schtffs-
bautechnischer Gesellschaft, Vol. 57, 1963, pp. 281-329.
11 Sears, W. R., "Unsteady Motion of Airfoils with Boundary-Layer
Acknowledgments Separation," AIAA Journal, Vol. 14, No. 2, 1976, pp. 216-220.
I wish to acknowledge the guidance and encouragement given 12 Tuck, E. O., "The Effect of Stream-Wise Variations in Amplitude
on the Thrust-Generating Performance of a Flapping Thin Wing,"
to me by my supervisor, Professor E. O. Tuck. Acknowledgment Symposium on Swimming and Flying in Nature, California Institute of
is also made of my support by an Australian Commonwealth Technology, Pasadena, California, July, 1974; Proceedings, Plenum, New
Postgraduate Research Award. York, Vol. 2, 1975, pp. 953-974.

164 JOURNAL OF SHIP RESEARCH