Ship-current interactions with TELEMAC

The Navigation Simulator is often used to train pilots and test harbour or channel designs. It combines hydraulic modelling with ship manoeuvring models and a team of experts pilots, tug m asters, naval architects and navigation specialists ), all focused through a suite of real time simulators.

Currently, the hydrodynamic modelling is an input of the ship simulator, i.e. it is carried out beforehand, the flow fields are then used by the ship simulator. This study presents how the effects of ships have been considered in the hydrodynamic modelling in order to improve ship navigation simulations. Several hydrodynamic scenarios were investigated: Representing the ships in the hydrodynamic model by imposing the ship hulls as a pressure field; Live communication between the hydrodynamic model and the ship simulator. The position and orientation of the ship is controlled by the ship simulator and passed on to the hydrodynamic model. The resulting flow fields and water elevation are calculated by the hydrodynamic model and fed back to the ship simulator; Including propeller wash.

The new developments were used in recent real time navigation simulations. Feedback from pilots and tug masters is positive. Some instabilities in the hydrodynamic model remain and further development s are underway.