Equation for ship wave crests in the entire range of water depths

Abstract

An equation for ship wave crests y/x in the entire range of water depths is developed using the linear dispersion relation. In deep water, the developed equation is reduced to the equation of Kelvin (1906). The locations of ship wave crests in the x- and y-directions are obtained using a dimensionless constant C. The wave ray angle theta(c) at the cusp locus is determined using the condition that theta(c) is maximal at the cusp locus and the cusp locus angle is determined as alpha(c) = -tan(-1)(y/x)(max). Numerical experiments are conducted using the FLOW-3D to simulate ship wave propagation. The cusp locus angles of the FLOW-3D are similar to both those of the present theory and Havelock (1908) theory in the entire range of the Froude number. Both the present theory and the FLOW-3D yield that, with the increase of ship speed, the Froude number increases and does the wavelength. For the Froude number equal to or greater than unity, the wavelength becomes infinitely large and the transverse waves disappear. The wavelengths of the FLOW-3D are slightly smaller than those of the present theory because the FLOW-3D considers the decrease of wavelength due to energy dissipation which happens because of viscosity of water and turbulence of high-speed particle velocities.