Advances in Marine Computational Fluid Dynamics

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Ocean Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 3659

Special Issue Editors

Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Materials Science, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
Interests: marine computational fluid dynamics; marine hydrodynamics; offshore wind energy; offshore aquaculture technology; scour prediction and protection; machine learning in marine technology

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Materials Science, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
Interests: offshore wind energy; offshore renewable energy; offshore aquaculture technology; marine hydrodynamics; marine structures; marine operations; marine computational fluid dynamics; scour prediction and protection; sediment transport; soil liquefaction; offshore foundation design
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a pivotal tool in the design and analysis of ships, underwater vehicles, offshore structures, and marine energy devices. It enables the prediction of hydrodynamic performance, the assessment of energy efficiency, and the mitigation of environmental impacts. With the marine industry striving for sustainability and innovation, the role of CFD in understanding and harnessing the power of the oceans has never been more critical. This Special Issue invites researchers, engineers, and scholars to contribute original research articles, review papers, and case studies that push the boundaries of marine CFD. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Advanced simulation techniques for turbulent flows, wave dynamics, fluid–structure interactions, and ship hydrodynamics;
  • CFD applications in the conceptualization, design, and optimization of hull shapes, propellers, marine renewable energy devices, and other marine structures;
  • Environmental impact assessments using CFD include wave and wind impacts on marine infrastructure, oil spill modeling, marine ecosystem protection, and underwater noise pollution;
  • Integration of CFD with other emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, data assimilation, machine learning, and digital twins, will revolutionize marine engineering solutions;
  • Case studies on the successful applications of CFD in maritime industry projects.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and contribute to the sustainable development of the marine industry.

Dr. Guang Yin
Prof. Dr. Muk Chen Ong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • marine computational fluid mechanics
  • marine hydrodynamics
  • waves
  • fluid–structure interactions
  • marine renewable energy
  • marine environmental impact

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5565 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Submarine Motion Characteristics in Mesoscale Vortex Environment Based on the Arbitrary Lagrange–Euler Method
by Lei Zhang, Xiaodong Ma, Xiang Wan, Qiyun Chen and Dong Wang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(4), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13040649 - 24 Mar 2025
Viewed by 199
Abstract
The special eddy field of mesoscale vortices plays an important role in the global shipping process. The statistical morphology of mesoscale vortices observed via global satellites and the numerical simulation of the ocean are applied to the simulation of computational fluid dynamics, which [...] Read more.
The special eddy field of mesoscale vortices plays an important role in the global shipping process. The statistical morphology of mesoscale vortices observed via global satellites and the numerical simulation of the ocean are applied to the simulation of computational fluid dynamics, which can more truly reflect the influence of mesoscale vortices on the motion characteristics of underwater vehicles. In this paper, the ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian) finite element method is used to simulate the random vortex of a submarine in three dimensions (horizontal x, vertical z, height y) and establish quantitative submarine movement characteristics. Our results show that with an increase in mesoscale vortex strength, the effects on the submarine’s speed and displacement increase, but the overall effect is still limited. In the 300 m transmission simulation, the velocity effect is within ±2 m/s, and the displacement effect is within 4 m. The simulation results can be applied to the route optimization algorithm of underwater vehicle automatic navigation and provide a reference for energy consumption calculations and route safety evaluations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Computational Fluid Dynamics)
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33 pages, 3273 KiB  
Article
Mathematical Modeling of Two-Dimensional Depth Integrated Nonlinear Coupled Boussinesq-Type Equations for Shallow-Water Waves with Ship-Born Generation Waves in Coastal Regions
by Vinita and Prashant Kumar
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(3), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13030562 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 213
Abstract
A hybrid computational framework integrating the finite volume method (FVM) and finite difference method (FDM) is developed to solve two-dimensional, time-dependent nonlinear coupled Boussinesq-type equations (NCBTEs) based on Nwogu’s depth-integrated formulation. This approach models nonlinear dispersive wave forces acting on a stationary vessel [...] Read more.
A hybrid computational framework integrating the finite volume method (FVM) and finite difference method (FDM) is developed to solve two-dimensional, time-dependent nonlinear coupled Boussinesq-type equations (NCBTEs) based on Nwogu’s depth-integrated formulation. This approach models nonlinear dispersive wave forces acting on a stationary vessel and incorporates a frequency dispersion term to represent ship-wave generation due to a localized moving pressure disturbance. The computational domain is divided into two distinct regions: an inner domain surrounding the ship and an outer domain representing wave propagation. The inner domain is governed by the three-dimensional Laplace equation, accounting for the region beneath the ship and the confined space between the ship’s right side and a vertical quay wall. Conversely, the outer domain follows Nwogu’s 2D depth-integrated NCBTEs to describe water wave dynamics. Interface conditions are applied to ensure continuity by enforcing the conservation of volume flux and surface elevation matching between the two regions. The accuracy of this coupled numerical scheme is verified through convergence analysis, and its validity is established by comparing the simulation results with prior studies. Numerical experiments demonstrate the model’s capability to capture wave responses to simplified pressure disturbances and simulate wave propagation over intricate bathymetry. This computational framework offers an efficient and robust tool for analyzing nonlinear wave interactions with stationary ships or harbor structures. The methodology is specifically applied to examine the response of moored vessels to incident waves within Paradip Port, Odisha, India. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Computational Fluid Dynamics)
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20 pages, 5101 KiB  
Article
Numerical Analysis of the Influence of Rectangular Deflectors and Geometry of L-Shaped Channel over the Performance of a Savonius Turbine
by Andrei Luís Garcia Santos, Jaifer Corrêa Martins, Liércio André Isoldi, Gustavo da Cunha Dias, Luiz Alberto Oliveira Rocha, Jeferson Avila Souza and Elizaldo Domingues dos Santos
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13010028 - 29 Dec 2024
Viewed by 541
Abstract
The present work investigates the influence of rectangular deflectors on the performance of a Savonius turbine mounted in an L-shaped channel, which represents a geometry like that found in one oscillating water column (OWC) device. It also performs a geometric investigation of the [...] Read more.
The present work investigates the influence of rectangular deflectors on the performance of a Savonius turbine mounted in an L-shaped channel, which represents a geometry like that found in one oscillating water column (OWC) device. It also performs a geometric investigation of the entrance region of the channel. More precisely, it investigates the effect of the height/length ratio (H1/L1) of the entering region of the channel on the system performance for three different configurations: (1) without the use of deflectors, (2) with just one deflector upstream the turbine, and (3) with one deflector upstream and another downstream the turbine. The geometric investigation is performed based on the constructal design method, and the entering channel area (A1) is the problem constraint. The performance indicators are the mechanical power in the Savonius turbine and the available power in the device. For all cases, it is considered turbulent airflow in the domain, being solved by the unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes mass and momentum equations. The numerical solution was obtained with the finite-volume method using the Ansys FLUENT software (version 2021 R1). The k-ω shear stress transport turbulence closure model is used. The results demonstrated that the mechanical and available powers depend on the H1/L1 ratio, regardless of the usage of deflectors. For instance, differences of up to 16.35% in mechanical power and 7.25% in available power were observed between the best and worst performance configurations in the case without deflectors. The use of deflectors resulted in increases of two and three times in available and mechanical powers, respectively, when the cases with one and two deflectors are compared with those without deflectors. This demonstrates that the enclosed domain and the insertion of the deflectors can enhance the performance of the Savonius turbine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Computational Fluid Dynamics)
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23 pages, 3848 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Tidal Asymmetry and Its Effect on Tidal Energy Resources in the Great Island Region of the Gulf of California
by Anahí Bermúdez-Romero, Vanesa Magar, Manuel López-Mariscal and Jonas D. De Basabe
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(10), 1740; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12101740 - 2 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1062
Abstract
Hydrokinetic tidal energy is one of the few marine renewable energy resources with sufficiently mature technology for commercial exploitation. However, several parameters affect its exploitability, such as the minimum speed threshold, ambient turbulence levels, or tidal asymmetry, to name but a few. These [...] Read more.
Hydrokinetic tidal energy is one of the few marine renewable energy resources with sufficiently mature technology for commercial exploitation. However, several parameters affect its exploitability, such as the minimum speed threshold, ambient turbulence levels, or tidal asymmetry, to name but a few. These parameters are particularly important in regions with lower mean speeds than those in first-generation sites, such as the North Sea. The Gulf of California is one of those regions. In this paper, a Delft3D Flexible Mesh Suite (Delft3D FM) model in barotropic configuration is set up over the Gulf of California using a flexible mesh with resolution varying from O (500 m) in the deep regions to O (10 m) in the coastal regions. A simulation is run over the year of 2020, with a tidal forcing of 75 components. The model is validated at four tidal gauge locations and four Acoustic Doppler Current profiler (ADCP) locations. The speed, U, and tidal power density (TPD) indicators used for the validation were the annual means, the annual means for speeds above the 0.5 m s−1 threshold, the annual means of the spring tide maxima, and the annual maxima. The contour maps of the annual means, that is, the annual means for speeds above the 0.5 m s−1 threshold, allow us to identify tidal energy hot spots throughout the Gulf of California, particularly in the Great Island region (GIR). In this region, these hot spots have higher U and TPD values, in agreement with previous studies. The patterns of circulation around Tiburón Island and San Esteban Island on the East, and Ángel de la Guarda Island and San Lorenzo Island on the West, the four islands in the region with the highest tidal energy potential, are also discussed while recognizing that Tiburón Channel, between Tiburón Island and San Esteban Island, has proved to be the best siting location, based on the technical results obtained so far. The hot spots sites are further characterized by computing the tidal asymmetry in these small regions, showing the locations of the sites with smallest asymmetry, which would be the best for tidal energy exploitation. The hot spots around San Esteban Island are particularly important because they have the largest TPD in the GIR, with the model predicting a TPD on the order of 500–1000 W m−2. Here, complementary field measurements obtained with two ADCPs, close to San Esteban Island, one at 15 m depth, SEs (shallow region), and the other at 60 m depth, SEd (deep region), produced TPDs of 1200 W m−2 and 400 W m−2, respectively. The analysis of the vertical profiles and the tidal asymmetry over the vertical shows the importance of developing 3D models in future investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Computational Fluid Dynamics)
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18 pages, 12688 KiB  
Article
Focusing Monochromatic Water Surface Waves by Manipulating the Phases Using Submerged Blocks
by Fei Fang Chung, Muk Chen Ong and Jiyong Wang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(10), 1706; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12101706 - 26 Sep 2024
Viewed by 936
Abstract
Focusing water surface waves is a promising approach for enhancing wave power in clean energy harvesting. This study presents a novel method that simplifies the wave-scattering problems of large-scale three-dimensional (3D) focusing blocks by decomposing them into scattering problems of two-dimensional (2D) phase [...] Read more.
Focusing water surface waves is a promising approach for enhancing wave power in clean energy harvesting. This study presents a novel method that simplifies the wave-scattering problems of large-scale three-dimensional (3D) focusing blocks by decomposing them into scattering problems of two-dimensional (2D) phase regulators. The phase lags of transmitted waves over such 2D structures of various heights and thicknesses are investigated using both linear potential flow theory and numerical simulations based on smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH). Due to propagation path differences of a converging wave, our approach compensates for circular phase differences within a maximal collection angle by optimizing the geometries of 2D phase regulators. Based on this concept, we designed three types of submerged structures and tested them in a 3D numerical water tank. All three structures successfully converted monochromatic plane waves into circular waves, which then converged at the designated focal point. This study offers a potential method to enhance the collection efficiency of monochromatic and regular waves for wave energy converters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Marine Computational Fluid Dynamics)
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