The Effect of Air Cavity on Water Resistance of a High-Speed Ferry with a Several-Stepped Hull

A planing hull high-speed ferry with a stepped hull becomes a well-liked mode of water transportation for archipelago countries. On the other hand, the shape of steps on the bottom hull has not been recently taken into explicit consideration regarding the speed requirement and hydrodynamic properties. In this study, the step W shapes, were adopted to find the improved hydrodynamic performance in the planning conditions. To provide a more precise prediction of the pressure, velocity fields, and void fraction, the CFD was applied the Finite Volume Method (FVM) and coupled with Volume of Fluid Method (VOF) to capture air cavity The numerical conditions of the planing hull were trimmed by the stern with 2, and 3 degrees. This study discussed the air cavity that occurred behind the stepped area that can affect the hydrodynamic behaviour. KEY WORDS: Planing Hull; Stepped hull; Air Cavity; FVM; VOF