A Computer-Based Analysis to Study the Effect of LCB Position on Ship Resistance in the Early Design Stage: A Case Study with a Fishing Vessel Hull

Minimising ship resistance is considered a crucial aspect of the design process, as it impacts fuel consumption during the operational phase, which in turn impacts financial and environmental aspects. Minimising the resistance is a complex issue, because different main geometrical characteristics of the hull, such as dimensional ratios, form coefficients, shape of sections and waterlines, longitudinal centre of buoyancy LCB, etc., may affect its value. In the early design stage, computational tools based on parametric models for the prediction of resistance can be used because they provide rapid evaluation of resistance within an acceptable accuracy level. The paper aims to present a computer-based methodology for studying the effect of LCB position on ship resistance at the early design stage. The tool used for the analyses is a software developed by the author based on regression models for the prediction of resistance. The methodology was illustrated with a case study analysis of a hull of the well-known Ridgely-Nevitt fishing vessel series. For the hull taken in consideration, the results of the analysis showed that the hull with the LCB positioned at −2% of the LPP aft amidships exhibited minimal resistance characteristics.