Finite element simulation of composite ship structures under extreme wave and slamming loads

A composite multi-hull ship structure under extreme wave and slamming loads has been investigated by using finite element analysis (FEA). Hull structure is made of sandwich construction having carbon/epoxy composite face sheets and PVC foam core. Two types of loadings are considered; i) Wave loads and ii) Slamming loads. Both wave and slamming loads are estimated according to American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) rules at sea state 5 with a ship forward velocity of 40 knots. Deformation and stress components for both loading conditions are extracted. In both cases, the maximum deformation and stresses were found to occur at the middle portion of the bottom deck. The maximum stress criterion for isotropic material (sandwich core) and Tsai-Wu failure criterion for orthotropic material (sandwich skin) are applied and structural integrity of each components are checked. A comparison was also made between the effects of wave loads and slamming loads, concluding that slamming loads have more detrimental effect on the ship hull.