A fast simulation method for damaged ship dynamics

Ship accidents that entail flooding may lead to disastrous consequences which could be avoided or mitigated based on the knowledge of damaged ship dynamics. The dynamic behaviour of a damaged hull is a complex phenomenon involving the interaction of the flooded water and the ship motions. The presence of a damage opening allows water flow into and out from the compartment, which further complicates the mathematical description of the problem. A fast simulation method, based on the lumped mass approach, is developed and presented. The lumped mass path in space depends on free-surface inclinations that differ from the ship angles of the roll and pitch. The viscous effects in the floodwater dynamics are implemented based on the model for the dissipation of the energy of standing waves in rectangular rooms. The method applies to both the transient stage of flooding and to the dynamic behaviour of a flooded ship in regular waves. In the first case, viscous effects are implemented considering the water in the compartment variable with time. Several case studies are carried out on three different hull models: Transient stage of flooding, roll decay of the damaged hull, and steady state responses in waves are simulated and compared with available experimental data.