T&R Bulletin 1-15: Reflections on the Theoretical Study of Ship Hulls (1953)

The first chapter of this work, after a short introduction on the current need for a theory of ships capable of guiding experimentation, has as its object a brief exposition of the theories currently in use, There is an emphasis on the equivalence between the method that Sir Thomas Havelock has deduced from the notion of source, and the so-called method of wedges that the author has derived from a general formula of potential theory due to Michell. In the second chapter, there is an analysis of experimental results from the viewpoint of their comparison with the results of calculations. Results are given which show that the movement of a liquid that can be recorded on the surface of a ship is unreliable for comparison between experiment and theory. A new definition of experimental wave resistance is proposed. The third chapter shows some comparisons between calculations and experiments for ships.

 

The results obtained are interesting, but one can hardly hope for improvements to the calculations applied to the whole of an actual hull. On the other hand, the given comparisons indicate an important interference between viscosity and wave resistance for very narrow models, contrary to what one might think a priority. Finally, in a short conclusion, the established results are summarized and the author gives his opinion as to the direction in which work should be guided in order to exploit these results.