Abstract
The flow around a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) has been investigated numerically to improve the resistant performance by modifying the hull form of the ROV. In the case of the base hull form considered in this study, form drag rather than friction drag was the dominant component of total drag. Subsequently, the surfaces that were most susceptible to local pressure effects were modified to give them a more streamlined shape. Eleven different hull forms were chosen to undergo surface modification for drag reduction. In addition, four different boat-tail appendages with different slant angles were installed at the stern to reduce the wake vortices that are induced by the local regions of very low pressure. Consequently, a total of 11 different hull forms for drag reduction were considered. The final hull form, which combined the hull for which surface modification resulted in the lowest drag with a boat-tail appendage with a 15-degree slant angle, resulted in a drag reduction of 20%.
