Published in J. Fluids Eng. Vol. 122 (2), pp. 309-317, 1999
doi:10.1115/1.483259
A panel Fourier method for ship-wave flow problems is considered here. It is based on a three-dimensional potential flow model with a linearized free surface condition, and it is implemented by means of a low order panel method coupled to a Fourier series. The wave resistance is computed by pressure integration over the static wet hull and the wave pattern is obtained by a post-processing procedure. The strategy avoids the use of numerical viscosity, in contrast with the Dawson-like methods, widely used in naval panel codes, therefore a second centered scheme can be used for the discrete operator on the free surface. Numerical results including the wave pattern for a ferry along fifteen ship lengths are presented.