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Thesis (M.S. in Mechanical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Fotis A. Papoulias. Includes bibliographical references (p. 61). Also available online.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The purpose of this thesis is to lay the foundation for analyzing structural coupling effects for a proposed trolley interface between a ship and a roll-on roll-off discharge facility (RRDF). Such a facility could allow heavy cargo transfer at higher sea states. Previous studies have analyzed motions assuming that there is no structural coupling between the trolley and the RRDF. A mathematical model that incorporates structural coupling is developed using the principle of virtual work. In order to assess the degree of necessity for the proposed model we conduct a systematic series of numerical experiments. In these calculations we model the trolley through a generalized stiffness coefficient and assess its influence on RRDF motions. It is shown that modeling of structural coupling may be necessary depending on the relative order of magnitude of trolley structural rigidity and trolley placement. / Major, Republic of Singapore Navy

Small open-deck roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries in Indonesia have a poor safety record. The Indonesian Government is interested in means by which the safety of these vessels can be improved, and this was the main catalyst for commencing research in this area. Any solution should be capable of being retrofitted to both existing vessels and new designs to improve their stability and, hence, their safety. The research therefore focused on the intact stability of the bare hulls, and with addition of side casings, for the vessels for which data was made available by the Indonesian Government. The research covered both quasi-static analysis, based on the objective of meeting the IMO intact stability criteria, and a dynamic approach using time-domain simulation in regular beam waves. A parametric study of the stability parameters of the twenty vessels demonstrated that, without the presence of side casings, the vessels had difficulties in complying with the IMO intact stability criteria. The problems were solved by introducing side casings (watertight spaces above the vehicle deck) either inboard of the vessel’s side-shell plating, or partially inboard and partially outboard of the side shell. The minimum extent (breadth) of side casings required was determined by iteration on each of the twenty vessels, incorporating variations in the height of the centre of gravity and loading conditions. The implementation of the minimum side casings showed that each vessel then met the IMO intact stability criteria. However, the assessment of the vessels’ dynamic stability characteristics using time-domain simulation provided inconsistent results for these vessels with side casings which met the IMO intact stability criteria. For some particular conditions, the existence and the different forms of side casings could decrease vessel survivability by increasing the roll motion amplitudes for both inside and outside casings and could lead the vessel to capsize. The results of the dynamic stability analysis also confirmed the vulnerability of small vessels with small stability parameters to large waves, and the different roll seakeeping behavior of the different vessel stability parameters.

Small open-deck roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries in Indonesia have a poor safety record. The Indonesian Government is interested in means by which the safety of these vessels can be improved, and this was the main catalyst for commencing research in this area. Any solution should be capable of being retrofitted to both existing vessels and new designs to improve their stability and, hence, their safety. The research therefore focused on the intact stability of the bare hulls, and with addition of side casings, for the vessels for which data was made available by the Indonesian Government. The research covered both quasi-static analysis, based on the objective of meeting the IMO intact stability criteria, and a dynamic approach using time-domain simulation in regular beam waves. A parametric study of the stability parameters of the twenty vessels demonstrated that, without the presence of side casings, the vessels had difficulties in complying with the IMO intact stability criteria. The problems were solved by introducing side casings (watertight spaces above the vehicle deck) either inboard of the vessel’s side-shell plating, or partially inboard and partially outboard of the side shell. The minimum extent (breadth) of side casings required was determined by iteration on each of the twenty vessels, incorporating variations in the height of the centre of gravity and loading conditions. The implementation of the minimum side casings showed that each vessel then met the IMO intact stability criteria. However, the assessment of the vessels’ dynamic stability characteristics using time-domain simulation provided inconsistent results for these vessels with side casings which met the IMO intact stability criteria. For some particular conditions, the existence and the different forms of side casings could decrease vessel survivability by increasing the roll motion amplitudes for both inside and outside casings and could lead the vessel to capsize. The results of the dynamic stability analysis also confirmed the vulnerability of small vessels with small stability parameters to large waves, and the different roll seakeeping behavior of the different vessel stability parameters.