Verifying a new hydro-elastic design method for planing boats by full-scale sea trials

Typically, the dominant load for the design of planing hulls is slamming, while sailing fast at head seas. Slamming is a violent fluid-structure interaction, where dynamics, hydro-elasticity, and nonlinearity are important. Considering these effects in a rational design may reduce the scantlings as compare to design by rules. This research verifies our rational design method, published recently. For this verification, we designed a special research boat, which has one rules-designed side and one rational-design side, with 20% thinner plates and double stiffeners spacing, which make hydro-elasticity significant. Comparison of critical stresses between rules-design, our rational-design, and measurements shows: For the heavy side (rules-design) rules, rational, and trials show similar stresses, so both rules and rational are applicable; however for the light side (rational-design), rules dramatically over assess the stresses, while rational and trials are similar. We therefore expect this study to advance the design of more efficient boats.