Displacement hull optimization regarding ship wave resistance

The development of computational programs that could allow the optimization of hull shapes is always helpful in saving project time and ensuring better performance at sea. This article presents a methodology to achieve optimal shapes for displacement hulls in relation to the total resistance, starting from an initial given geometry, describing hull form and applying specific constraints to an optimization problem with the purpose to guarantee a reliable solution. Hull geometry is described by using B-Spline surface functions and the ship wave resistance is calculated using Michell’s formulation. Once the vessel surface is well defined, B-Spline parameters are varied until an optimal form is attained and the minimum resistance is achieved.