Experimental and numerical investigation on the influence of bilge keel shape on roll damping

Excessive roll amplitudes due to roll motion are undesirable in marine ships. Consequently, it is imperative to conduct a detailed analysis of roll motion and the associated roll damping characteristics. This study experimentally and numerically investigates the roll damping characteristics of bilge keels with various geometric shapes on a ship model under different roll amplitudes. By comparing the non-dimensional roll damping coefficients obtained from experiments and numerical analyses, it is observed that bilge keels with geometries differing from the conventional plate shape exhibit distinct roll damping coefficients. Specifically, bilge keels with sharper tip ends demonstrate higher roll damping coefficients. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the corners and tip end of bilge keels be sharpened to enhance the roll damping coefficient.