Date of Award
5-2026
Thesis Date
5-2026
Degree Type
Honors Thesis-Unrestricted
Degree Name
B.S.
Department
School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Degree Program
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Director
Brandon Taravella
Abstract
This study investigates the ability of numerical simulations to predict vessel motion responses under asymmetrical loading conditions. A raked barge model was designed, constructed, and tested in a towing tank to evaluate the response amplitude operators (RAOs) for heave, roll, and pitch under various wave conditions. The model included six internal compartments that allowed different flooding scenarios to be simulated in order to create asymmetric loading conditions. Experimental testing was conducted under head seas (0 degrees) and beam seas (90 degrees) with multiple wave periods.
A numerical model of the vessel was developed using GHS to generate predicted RAOs for the same loading and wave conditions. Two seakeeping modules were evaluated, one with all six degrees of freedom fully coupled and another in which surge, sway, and yaw were removed while maintaining coupling between heave, roll, and pitch. The numerical predictions were then compared with the experimental results obtained from the towing tank testing.
Overall, the numerical simulations captured the general trends and peak response periods observed in the experimental data, indicating that the GHS model was able to reasonably represent the hydrostatic and mass characteristics of the vessel. However, differences in response magnitudes and occasional shifts in peak responses were observed between the numerical and experimental results. These discrepancies were likely influenced by experimental limitations such as mooring constraints, wave reflections within the towing tank, and the challenges associated with isolating specific degrees of freedom during testing. Additional differences may also result from simplifications within the numerical model, including assumptions related to damping, boundary conditions, and the representation of the vessel’s mass distribution.
The results demonstrate that while numerical models can provide useful predictions of vessel motion behavior, experimental validation remains important when evaluating vessel responses under complex loading conditions. Further refinement of the GHS model inputs and simulation parameters could improve agreement between predicted and experimental results and provide a more accurate representation of vessel behavior under asymmetric loading conditions.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Sink, Kylie, "Design, Simulation, and Experimentation of a Box Barge Model Under Asymmetrical Conditions" (2026). Senior Honors Theses. 145.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/honors_theses/145
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this honors thesis in whole or part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the honors thesis.