Abstract
Viscous flows behind transom stern are analyzed based on CFD simulation results. Stern wave pattern is often complicated due to the abrupt change of stern surface curvature and flow separation at transom. When a ship advances at high speed, whole transom stern is exposed out of water, resulting in the so-called 'dry transom'. However, in the moderate speed regime, stern wave development in conjunction of flow separation makes unstable wavy surface partially covering transom surface, i.e., the so-called 'wetted transom'. Transom wave formation is usually affecting the resistance characteristics of a ship, since the pressure contribution on transom surface as well as the wave-making resistance is changed. Flow modeling for 'wetted transom' is difficult, while the 'dry transom modeling' is often applied for the high-speed vessels. In the present study CFD results from the RANS equation solver using a finite volume method with level-set treatment are utilized to assess the topology of transom flow pattern for a destroyer model (DTMB5415) and a container ship (KCS). It is found that transom flow patterns are quite different for the two ships, in conformity to the shape of submerged transom. Furthermore, the existence of free surface seems to after the flow topology in case of KCS.