A Study on Reduced Wind Drag Acting on the Hull of a River Ship in Headwind Using CFD

The aerodynamic performance of a ship plays a crucial role in determining its efficiency, safety, and economic viability. While traditional ship design has primarily focused on optimizing hull forms to minimize water resistance acting on the hull, recent research highlights the growing importance of aerodynamic performances and wind drag acting on the ships, especially for ships with large accommodation above the water surface. In this study, aerodynamic performances of a cargo river ship were investigated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). From the results of the analysis of aerodynamic performance and wind drag acting on the original ship, several accommodation shapes were proposed for the ship to improve aerodynamic performance and reduce wind drag. The results show that the proposed accommodation shape for the ship, which includes a bow cover, a modified hatch cover, and accommodation, makes a small change to the ship’s structure, but it can improve aerodynamic performances and drastically reduce wind drag acting on the ship. An up to 42.82% reduction in total wind drag acting on the new ship can be reached. A study on reducing wind drag acting on the can lead to lower fuel consumption, saving energy, and improving economic efficiency.