关键词: 自航绞吸挖泥船, 流载荷, 大开槽, 计算流体力学

Abstract: Self-propelled cutter suction dredgers feature large open slots at the bow and stern for equipment installation, giving them a hull form that is distinctly different from conventional merchant ships. Current loads constitute a major environmental force during their operation. This paper investigates the current load characteristics resulting from these large slots via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Two typical hull configurations—the positioning-bow type and the excavation bow type—are examined. Simulations are performed on a scaled model using the SST k-ω turbulence model to analyze the variation in current loads under flow incidence angles ranging from 0° to 180°. The results show that the large open slots create pronounced low velocity zones and vortices behind the hull, significantly increasing the current load coefficients. For instance, at a 180° flow angle, the longitudinal current load coefficient of the excavation-bow type is 122% higher than that of the positioning-bow type. The transverse current load coefficient peaks at a 90° flow angle, exceeding the values given in the OCIMF charts by 18% and 13% for the two hull types, respectively. This study reveals the relationship between hull configuration and flow field characteristics, providing theoretical support for the design of large self-propelled cutter suction dredgers.

Key words: self-propelled cutter suction dredger, current load, large open slots, computational fluid dynamics (CFD)