Finite element analysis of a 1.2 tonnes WIG craft under water impact loads

Abstract

Demand for high-speed sea transportation modes has increased dramatically in the last few decades. Various transportation modes were introduced and are being used today; Hydrofoil ship, Air cushion vehicle, Wavepiercing Catamaran vessel and WIG (Wing-In-Ground effect) craft are all a case in point. Among these transportations, the WIG is considered as the next generation maritime transportation system through the employment of advanced modern technologies such as lightweight structural materials, digital flight controls and advanced propulsion system. Noted advantages of the WIG craft compared to equivalent aircraft and marine vessels would be better economy and faster speed. In this paper, the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) finite element method is used to simulate the water impact of a 1.2 tonnes WIG craft during a landing phase. A full 3D shell element is used to model the WIG craft in carbon composites, and a developed FE model is used to investigate the effect of the water impact loads on the structural responses of the WIG craft. In the analysis, two different landing scenarios are considered, and their effects on the structural responses are investigated. ？ 2007 American Bureau of Shipping.