Effects of steady flow and side hull layouts on motions and added resistance of a trimaran sailing in waves

As a high-performance ship, the trimaran holds significant potential in military and civilian fields. This study proposes a novel numerical method based on the Rankine panel method for predicting the time domain motion and wave loads of trimarans navigating in waves. This approach incorporates a more accurate steady flow model for trimarans and meticulously derives the boundary value problem for the unsteady disturbance potential, while retaining the steady terms related to steady flow throughout the process. This approach ensures a comprehensive consideration of the impacts of speed effect and ship wave. The method was innovatively validated using the trimaran hull form, and its accuracy and reliability were confirmed through comparisons with experimental data. Then, the influence of steady flow on time domain motions and added resistance of trimarans was thoroughly investigated. Comparative analysis of different steady flow models demonstrates that the steady flow model for trimaran proposed provides high precision and advantages in predicting the time domain motions of high-speed trimarans in waves. Furthermore, a systematic investigation into the effects of ship speed and side hull layouts on trimaran's motion and added resistance in waves has been conducted, offering crucial technical support for trimarans' seakeeping optimal solution selection. • A code is developed on VS platform for accurate prediction of motions and added resistance of a trimaran sailing in waves. • Further insights into the impacts of steady flow and speed effect on the motions and wave loads of a trimaran in waves. • A systematic comparative analysis was conducted to assess the impact of side hull layouts on the seakeeping of a trimaran. • The advantages and applicability of the proposed numerical method were thoroughly elucidated.