Solutions
Ship Hydrodynamics
Predict hull resistance and wave patterns with cloud-based CFD simulation
Why Ship Hydrodynamics Simulation Matters
Hull shape is the single biggest lever on fuel consumption and emissions. Traditional towing tank tests are expensive and slow, limiting how many design variants you can evaluate. CFD simulation lets naval architects explore dozens of hull forms digitally, predicting resistance and wave patterns before any physical model is built.
Pressure Drag
The hull shape creates pressure differences between bow and stern. Optimizing the form reduces this dominant resistance component.
Frictional Resistance
Water flowing along the wetted surface generates shear stress. Wetted area and boundary layer development drive this component.
Wave-Making Resistance
Energy transferred to the surface wave system generated by the moving hull. Dominant at higher Froude numbers and critical for speed optimization.
Three Steps to Hull Resistance Prediction
Upload Hull Geometry
Import your STL hull model. Supports monohulls, catamarans, and planing craft geometries.
Set Operating Conditions
Define ship speed, draft, and trim. The computational domain, mesh, and boundary conditions are configured automatically.
Analyze Results
Visualize pressure distribution, free-surface elevation, and wake field. Extract the full resistance breakdown.
Resistance Breakdown & Simulation Setup
Results decompose total hull resistance into physical components, giving you actionable insight into where drag originates and how to reduce it.
Resistance Components
| Component | Coefficient | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure Drag | Cp | Form-related pressure resistance |
| Friction Drag | Cf | Viscous shear along wetted surface |
| Wave-Making | Cw | Energy lost to surface wave system |
| Total Resistance | CT | Sum of all components |
| Effective Power | PE | RT x Vs |
Default Simulation Parameters
| Parameter | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Solver | interFoam | Two-phase VOF solver |
| Turbulence | k-omega SST | RANS, wall-resolved |
| Free Surface | VOF | Volume of Fluid with MULES |
| Time Scheme | 2nd-order implicit | Backward differencing |
| Mesh | Hex-dominant | snappyHexMesh with refinement zones |
Why Choose dicehub for Ship Hydrodynamics
Cloud-based
No workstation or license fees. Run hull simulations directly in your browser on scalable cloud HPC infrastructure.
Ready-to-Use Templates
Start your resistance study in minutes with pre-configured ship hydrodynamics templates. No OpenFOAM expertise required.
Parallel Speed Runs
Evaluate multiple speeds or design variants simultaneously on cloud HPC. Full resistance curve in hours, not weeks.
Detailed Reports
Automatically generated resistance breakdown, wave pattern visualization, and pressure distribution maps.
Real-time Collaboration
Share hull projects with your team. Review results together in real-time, like Google Docs for simulations.
Pay-as-you-go
Pay only for the compute you use. No subscriptions, no upfront license fees.
Ready to predict your hull's performance?
Get started in minutes. No credit card required.