Experimental Study on the Simplified Calculation of Lateral Flow Force Acting on Different Types of Ships

_ The hydrodynamic forces exerted by water have a significant impact on the safety of berthing and mooring of ships, particularly the lateral forces acting perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ship. Determining the lateral flow resistance coefficient is indeed crucial in understanding these forces. In this study, water flow tests were conducted on models of six different types of ships to analyze the relationship between the flow resistance coefficient and various factors such as ship type, ship loading, water depth-to-draft ratio, and flow angle. By generalizing the influence of the ship’s profile below the water surface and establishing a sinusoidal relationship between the lateral current drag force coefficient and the angle of current attack based on experimental data, a simplified calculation formula for the lateral flow force for different ship types is proposed, which can be a valuable tool for estimation calculations in the design phase. Keywords lateral flow force; flow resistance coefficient; ship model test