Enhancing inland vessel efficiency: A comprehensive study on the effectiveness of bulbous bow in mitigating resistance in Bangladesh

• Though a properly designed bulbous bow has ability to reduce ship resistance, Naval Architects usually avoid bulbous bow for inland ship design. The reasons have been analyzed. • Can bulbous bow improve ship resistance? In this research analysis has been conducted for Inland ships of Bangladesh. • Different types of Bulbs have been introduced to 3 inland ship design and ship resistance values have been compared for different bulbs and at different ship speed. • Comparison of computed results to determine the most effective bulb. • The analysis was conducted using CFD software, which is a very reliable tool at design stage for Naval Architects. • The viscous resistance, wave resistance, and total resistance coefficients were assessed for both the original hull and the hull fitted with bulbs. This study investigated the impact of bulbous bows on resistance reduction and efficiency enhancement in inland vessels within Bangladesh's riverine networks. Filling a research gap, it focused on tankers, cargo, and passenger vessels, employing numerical modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and numerical validation. The literature review highlighted bulbous bows' historical effectiveness in reducing resistance, particularly in high-speed, compact, and specialized vessels. With no prevalent use in Bangladesh's inland ships, the study methodically added bulbous bows to three vessels, employing 'SHIPFLOW' CFD software for simulations. The Nabla bulb emerged as the most efficient design. The findings contribute to hydrodynamics and ship design knowledge, offering practical insights for Bangladesh's marine industry. The study's outcomes could reshape the inland water transport sector by providing valuable information on bulbous bows' economic, environmental, and strategic advantages.