Statistical Reliability Analysis of Numerical Simulation for Prediction of Model-Ship Resistance

Abstract

A wide scope of numerical simulations was performed to predict model-ship resistances by using STAR-CCM+ and OpenFOAM. The numerical results were compared with experimental measurements in towing tank to analyze statistical reliability of the present simulations. Based on the normal distribution of resistance errors in 113 cases of container carriers, tankers and very large crude-oil carriers, the confidence intervals of numerical error were estimated as [-2.64%,+2.32%] and [-1.82%, +1.87%] with 95% confidence in STAR-CCM+ and OpenFOAM, respectively. The resistance errors of liquefied natural gas carriers with single- and twin-skeg were confident in the ranges of [-2.51%,+2.64%] and [-2.29%, +1.46%], respectively. The grid uncertainty of resistance coefficients for KCS was also quantitatively analyzed by using a grid verification procedure. The grid uncertainty of OpenFOAM (5.1%) was larger than 4.4% uncertainty of STAR-CCM+ although OpenFOAM provided statistically more confident results than those of STAR-CCM+. It means that a grid system verified under a specific condition does not automatically lead to statistical reliability in general cases.