HULL FORMS

Abstract: A hull form for a vessel which hull form is deep-Vee based and is constructed and arranged for use in a displacement mode, the hull including a bow section which incorporates a plurality of lateral grooves (7) or alternative single lateral formations (Figure 2) and being extended below the base or datum line (5) of the hull in a streamlined teardrop configuration (6). Preferably, the hull has deep-Vee deadrise angles (1) whose magnitudes in the region of the transom of the hull are not less than 20°, the surfaces extending between the keel and the water line length (13, 14) being non-planar and having developable convex and concave geometry, all buttock lines of the hull having a negative inclination of between substantially ½° and substantially 4°. The invention enables the known advantages of deep-Vee based hull forms to be used in displacement mode vessels having relatively large displacements where, heretofore, "round-bilge" hull forms very greatly predominated.

Description: This invention relates to hull forms and to vessels provided with such hull forms. Hull forms of the so-called "deep-Vee" kind are well known and the term in question is descriptive, being derived from the basic shape of such a hull. The deep-Vee hull form has many advantages as compared with the alternative "round-bilge" hull form and these advantages are particularly marked in a vessel of deep-Vee hull form that is constructed and arranged for use in a planing mode. Although some vessels of relatively small displacement are known having deep-Vee based hulls constructed and arranged for use in a displacement, rather than planing, mode, conventional deep-Vee based hull forms do not really lend themselves to advantageous use in larger displacement mode vessels, such larger vessels that are for use in displacement mode being principally of round-bilge form. With these circumstances in mind, an object of the present invention is to provide a deep-Vee based hull form which is such that it can be employed in a displacement mode vessel of substantially any displacement volume, thus enabling the known advantages of deep-Vee based hull forms to be enjoyed by substantially any vessels, and particularly by vessels having a displacement volume of substantially 50 tonnes or more where, as already mentioned, the round-bilge form very greatly predominates. Amongst the advantages of having a deep-Vee based hull form in accordance with the invention to a vessel constructed and arranged for use in a displacement mode are good seakeeping performance in both calm and rough sea conditions, low roll, pitch and yaw characteristics and, particularly, a low incidence of slamming. The steerability, acceleration and deceleration of a displacement mode vessel provided with a deep-Vee based hull form in accordance with the invention are all excellent. According to the invention, there is provided a deep-vee based hull form constructed and arranged for use in a displacement mode and having a bow section, characterized in that said bow section incorporates a plurality of lateral grooves or a laterally hollowed formation extending generally horizontally at each side, or a combination of both, the bow section being extended below the base or datum line of the hull in a streamlined teardrop configuration. For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a somewhat diagramatic longitudinal view of a deep-Vee based hull form constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a diagramatic side view showing an alternative construction; Figure 3 is a side elevation substantially corresponding to Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a diagramatic sectional view, to an enlarged scale, illustrating the geometry of a recessed formation of the hull. Referring to the accompanying drawings, it will immediately be apparent that the hull form of the hard chine vessel which is illustrated is basically of deep-Vee configuration. The illustrated hull has a beam of 13.4 meters and it can be seen in Figure 1 of the drawings that the deadrise angle 1 of the hull form has a magnitude of 25°. This inclination is by no means mandatory but the deadrise angle 1 should not have a magnitude of less than 2O⁰. Depending upon the speed-to-length ratio requirements of the particular vessel in which this hull form is to be employed, the deep-Vee deadrise angle may be varied from aft of midships and, in particular, the hull of a vessel having relatively low speed-to-length ratio requirements may have the deadrise angle progressively increased by substantially another 2° to substantially another 9° compared with this angle at the transom, this increase commencing at a location spaced forwardly from the transom by 0.3 x the magnitude of the length water line. The transom itself may have rounded corners. The angular increase is indicated by the reference 2 at the left side of Figure 1 of the drawings. The deep-Vee longitudinal centre of buoyancy should be as close as possible to midships and within up to 10% of the length of the water line magnitude either forwardly or aft from there depending upon the speed and displacement requirements of the particular vessel. The vessel which is illustrated has a hard chine hull exhibiting a relatively sharp-angled upper chine 3 and a rounded lower chine 4. In fact, the upper chine 3 is of relatively sharp angular configuration throughout substantially all of its length and it is incorporated into the corresponding side wall of the hull. The lower chine 4, on the other hand, has the rounded configuration which has been mentioned between a location aft of the bow spray rail and a location just in advance of midships. The hull has a base line that is indicated by the reference 5 in the drawings and the bow section of the hull form is extended downwardly below this base line 5 to produce a streamlined teardrop configuration 6 disregarding any equipment that may eventually be carried thereby. In accordance with a feature of the invention, the bow section of the hull incorporates a plurality, such as four, of grooves 7 that extend generally parallel to one another at vertically spaced apart levels which are between the base line 5 and the lower rounded chine 4. The grooves 7 all commence at forward locations 8 (Figure 3) which are a short distance aft from the extreme forward end of the bow section of the hull. The length of each goove 7 may vary in dependence upon the requirements of the particular vessel upon which a hull in accordance with the invention is to be based and, in Figure 3 of the drawings, a first set of rearward locations 9 is indicated for the grooves 7 together with a second set of rearward locations 10 each of which latter locations 10 is further aft of the hull than is the corresponding alternative rear location 9. Similarly, the cross-sectional dimensions of each groove 7 will vary in accordance with the same factors but will be in substantially the same proportion to the measurements of the whole vessel as is illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. In the drawings of the embodiment that is being described, so-called stations are marked along the base line 5 and it will thus be seen that the forward locations 8 at the leading ends of all four of the grooves 7 are each at station 10 whereas the rearmost end or aft end of the lowermost groove 7 could be anywhere between station 7 and station 8 whilst the rearmost or aft end of the uppermost groove 7 could be anywhere between station 5 1/ 2 and station 6 1 / 2 . The optimum positions for the rear locations 9 and 10 must be calculated for each particular complete vessel design and it is emphasized that the illustrated rear locations 9 and 10 merely show the foremost and rearmost possible positions for the aft ends of the grooves 7 in one particular vessel. It is emphasized that there could be more or less than four grooves 7 and that, in particular, a single laterally hollowed formation 11 may be substituted for the grooves 7 at each side of the hull form as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The hollowed formation 11 may extend, in a vessel having hull dimensions similar to those of the vessel shown in the drawings, rearwardly from a forward location 8 that is at station 9 1/ 2 to anywhere, depending upon the requirements of the particular vessel, between a rear location 9 at station 6 and an alternative rear location 10 at station 5. The margins of the two laterally hollowed formations 11 at each side of the hull are margins which merge into the corresponding surfaces of the hull in a rounded, rather than angular, manner. If desired, a construction employing a combination of the grooves 7 and the two hollowed formations 11 may be employed. Each side surface of the hull is preferably formed, below the upper chine 3, with a recessed formation 12 whose foremost extremity, in the embodiment which is illustrated by way of example in the drawings, is at station 9 and whose rearmost end is at station 5. Figure 4 of the drawings somewhat diagramatically shows the cross-sectional shape of the recessed formation 12 whilst both Figures 3 and 4 show locations A, C, D₁ and D₂ and it will be evident from a comparison between these Figures that, in the embodiment which is being described by way of example, the cross-sectional shape of the recessed formation 12 is shown at station 8 looking towards the stern so that the developing shape of the recess 12 can be seen. Figure 4 of the drawings also shows locations B₁ and B₂ and it is noted that a line 14 passing through both locations B₂ and D₂ corresponds to the so-called length water line 1 whereas a line 13 which joins the locations B₁ and D₁ corresponds to the so-called length water line 2. Figures 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings show the shape of the recessed formation 12 at one side of the hull and, naturally, the hull form is symmetrical about a vertical, longitudinally extending, central plane so that any specialised shaping of the hull form that is to be found at one lateral side thereof also occurs symmetrically at the opposite lateral side thereof. The opposite symmetrically inclined surfaces of the hull between the keel and the water line length are entirely non-planar and have developable convex and concave geometry throughout, the maximum depth of any concavity being not greater than substantially 10% of the hull girth. The hull advantageously has a displacement to water line length ratio whose magnitude is between 40 and 140 and a water line length to water line beam ratio whose magnitude is between 4 and 12, both these ratios being variable in dependence upon the required speed of travel and the displacement of any vessel based upon a hull form in accordance with the invention. It will be seen from Figure 3 of the drawings that the two chines 3 and 4 merge with one another towards the bow at a location 15 which is substantially 0.3 times the magnitude of the length water level from fore perpendicular aft. The merged chines 3 and 4 continue forwardly to form a bow chine which is indicated by the reference 3. This bow chine and the stern post are secured to one another at a distance from the base line 5 which is equal to substantially twice the midships draft of the hull. When a hull of high speed construction is required, its upper chine 3 preferably incorporates the previously mentioned spray rail, the latter exhibiting hollow sections extending inwardly throughout substantially the whole of the length water line. Each bow chine, as referred to above, preferably has relatively large spray rails and is formed with an interior concave section. Relatively small upwardly opening slots may advantageously be provided with this construction. A skeg 16 is advantageously fitted at the bottom of the transom and, when so fitted, preferably has a depth at the transom which is not greater in magnitude than the depth by which the previously described teardrop configuration 6 of the bow section projects beneath the base line 5. The skeg 16 has a length whose magnitude is substantially 0.2 times the magnitude of the length water line, is streamlined and progressively reduces to a zero projection at its leading end. Shaped skegs in the form of streamlined plates may advantageously also be provided at both the port and starboard sides of the hull in the form of bilge keels extending forwardly from the transom. In a vessel having a displacement mode, deep-Vee bazed hull form and a length in excess of about 20 meters, a relatively low added resistance is experienced in conditions above sea state 4 (2.44 metre waves) and the incidence of slamming is very low indeed, such slamming often being entirely absent. In particular, there is usually no slamming whatsoever when the speed-to-length ratio of the vessel has a value in excess of unity. The lowered resistance to forward progress that is encountered by a vessel having a hull form in accordance with the invention is particularly significant in sea conditions where the waves have a height of 1.85 metres or more. The directional stability or steerability in sea conditions where the wave height is in excess of about 1.85 metres is particularly well maintained in a vessel whose speed-to-length ratio is in excess of unity. The resistance to forward progress of a vessel having a hull form in accordance with the invention is relatively low at a slow forward speed and, in conditions above sea state 4 (2.44 metre waves), relatively low heave, vertical velocity and vertical acceleration are experienced together with low roll, pitch and yaw.

Claims: A deep-Vee based hull form constructed and arranged for use in a displacement mode and having a bow section, characterised in that said bow section incorporates a plurality of lateral grooves (7) or a laterally hollowed formation (11) extending generally horizontally at each side, or a combination of both, the bow section being extended below the base line (5) of the hull in a streamlined teardrop configuration (6). A hull form according to claim 1, characterised in that its deep-Vee deadrise angles (1) are not less than 20°, the surfaces extending between the keel and the water line length (13, 14) being non-planar and having developable convex and concave geometry. A hull form according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, for a vessel with relatively low speed-to-length ratio requirements, the deep-Vee deadrise angles (1) are progressively increased (2), from a location aft of midships, by another substantially 2° to substantially 9° as compared with the deadrise angles (1) at the transom. A hull form according to claim 3, characterised in that the progressive increase (2) in the deadrise angles (1) commences at a location spaced by substantially 0.3 times the magnitude of the length water line forwardly from the transom. A hull form according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the hull is a hard chine hull (3, 4). A hull form according to claim 5, characterised in that upper and lower hard chines (3, 4) are provided which merge together forwardly into a bow chine (3). A hull form according to claim 6, characterised in that said bow chine (3) and a stern post are secured together at a distance from the base line (5) of the hull which is substantially twice the magnitude of the midships draft. A hull form according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the longitudinal centre of buoyancy of the deep-Vee hull form is at midships or at a location which is not more than l0% of the magnitude of the length water line (13, 14) forwardly or aft from midships. A hull form according to any preceding claim, characterised in that there are four vertically spaced apart lateral grooves (7) in each side wall of the hull. A hull form according to claim 9, characterised in that said four grooves (7) all commence at substantially the same station considered fore and aft of the hull form but extend rearwardly by progressively greater distances from their leading ends considered downwardly from the uppermost groove (7) of the four to the lowermost groove (7) of the four. A hull form according to any preceding claim, characterised in that a recessed formation (12) is provided in each side wall of the bow section of the hull above said grooves (7) or laterally hollowed formation (11), each recessed formation (12) extending lengthwise of the corresponding side wall from a location that is significantly to the rear of the bow itself and merging into the side wall by way of upper and lower margins that are rounded, rather than sharp-angled. A hull form according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that each side wall of the hull has a single laterally hollowed formation (11) that commences at a location to the rear of the bow post and that ends at a variable location, with respect to the length of the hull form, that coincides with, or is to the rear of, the rearmost extremity of the downward extension (6) of the bow section of the hull. A hull form according to any preceding claim, characterized in that forwardly tapering streamlined skegs (16) are provided at least at the transom bottom, each such skeg (16) having a maximum depth which is not greater than the distance by which said downward extension (6) of the bow section projects below the base line (5) of the hull. A vessel having a hull form according to any preceding claim. A vessel according to claim 14, and having a displacement in excess of 50 tonnes. A vessel according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that it has a displacement to length ratio of between 40 and 140 inclusive. A vessel according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that it has a water line length to water line beam ratio of between 4 to 12 inclusive.

Inventors: SERTER, ERBIL HAYRI
Applicants: HYDRO ENGINEERING SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL S.A.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B63B1
IPC codes: B63B1