Title: Impact of a four-hydrofoil configuration on trimaran resistance: two angled bow foils on longer struts and two stern foils on shorter struts

Authors: Aliakbar Ghadimi; Hassan Ghassemi; Parviz Ghadimi

Addresses: Department of Maritime Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Hafez Ave, No 424, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Maritime Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Hafez Ave, No 424, Tehran, Iran; School of Ocean Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, China ' Department of Maritime Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Hafez Ave, No 424, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: This study investigates how installing four NACA0015 hydrofoils to a trimaran hull affects performance, aiming to reduce fuel consumption by minimising resistance. Using Star-CCM+ and URANS equations, the research analysed the impact of two angled hydrofoils at the bow and two angled at the stern on a trimaran's performance. The methodology involved modelling the trimaran, hydrofoils, and struts, creating a computational domain with appropriate boundary conditions, and performing mesh independence testing. Validation was achieved through a catamaran simulation. Results at Froude numbers ranging from 0.8 to 1.5 showed improved CL/CD ratios with hydrofoils. Meanwhile, trim improved at lower speeds but decreased at higher speeds. Pressure resistance increased, while frictional drag was significantly reduced at high speeds. Overall, total resistance increased at lower speeds but decreased at higher speeds, notably a 44.8% reduction at Froude number 1.5, demonstrating the potential of these hydrofoil configurations for improved high-speed efficiency.

Keywords: trimaran; hydrofoil; resistance reduction; CFD; high-speed planning hull; numerical analysis; Star-CCM+.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2026.153729

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2026 Vol.26 No.3, pp.186 - 201

Received: 16 Jan 2025
Accepted: 01 Jul 2025
Published online: 22 May 2026 *

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