Numerical Investigation of Interceptor Bulb to Improve Trim Control

This study addresses interceptor devices to improve the hydrodynamic characteristic of autonomous unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The bulb and rectangular interceptors had molded on a planning hull. This research aims to mitigate drag impact on rectangular interceptors at high speeds. According to this study, a bulb interceptor had a better impact than a rectangular interceptor. This research is based on the finite volume method (FVM) with dynamic fluid-body interaction (DFBI), which captured the ship’s dynamic trim and sinkage. The simulation used an overset mesh technique with two domains as a donor-acceptor cell. Furthermore, numerical calculations using the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equation and the k-turbulence model predict the turbulent flow. Grid independence studies and international towing tank conference (ITTC) recommendations have been applied to ensure simulation accuracy. This study reported that the bulb interceptor had effectiveness between 9%-25% compared to the rectangular interceptor at high speed. This research showed that the bulb interceptor had better effectiveness than the rectangular interceptor.