| Abstract | This research investigates the motion (sway and yaw) instabilities and mitigation solutions of a towed barge operating in ocean environments. To complete the investigations, a systematic multi-phased design optimization and procedure based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and physical modelling techniques was developed and practiced. During the first phase, the research team developed CFD models that predicted the full-scale motion instabilities of a towed barge and compared them with the full-scale observations. Physical model tests of the towed barge operations were also conducted to reproduce the field observations. Commercially available and slightly modified or optimized solutions were modelled using CFD and physical modelling techniques to evaluate their performance in mitigating the unsafe motions of the barge during towing operations. The CFD modelling techniques were thoroughly validated using physical model testing measurements, both techniques confirming that the motion minimization achieved by the commercial solution and its variations were unacceptable. In the second phase of the research, several in-house developed solutions were designed and investigated using the CFD model, and recommendations were provided to confirm performance through a second set of physical model testing in a flume basin. The most promising mitigation strategies were identified based on physical test results, aligning with full-scale CFD predictions. Following these findings, in the third and final phase of the research, the optimal solutions were implemented on the full-scale barge, leading to significant improvements in motion stability, as confirmed by full-scale trials. This study presents a rigorous and integrated approach combining high-fidelity CFD and physical model testing to investigate the hydrodynamics and motion instabilities of a towed barge. The findings yield critical insights that inform practical design strategies to improve towing stability, safety, and operational performance. This paper summarizes the background, methodologies and procedures developed and utilized for the research and outcomes of the investigations undertaken during the first phase of the research. |
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