A numerical boundary element method for the evaluation of the wave pattern and of the wave resi stance is discussed and applied to a ship hull of Series 60 with CB = 0.70. The methodology is based on distribution of sources on the relevant boundary surfaces. The theoretical wave resistance has been obtained both by pressure integration and by analyzing the transverse cuts of the wave patterns obtained numerically. Furthermore, experimental investigations have been carried out in towing tanks with three geosim models of Series 60 hulls, having CB = 0.7, in order to determine the wave resistance by single longitudinal cut and multiple wave pattern cut methods, the form factor and the data processing to full scale from the model results was obtained by using the ITTC ’78 methodology.
The main aim of the paper is to furnish a contribution on the following still open problems: validation of the numerical method for the evaluation of the wave pattern and the wave resistance; determination of the scale effects both on the form factor and on the wave pattern resistance; deeper understanding of the wave breaking phenomenon and evaluation of the scale effect on the wave breaking resistance.
