Review of hydrodynamics, design and optimisation of stern flap on high-speed displacement ships

ABSTRACT

The shipping industry faces rising fuel costs, stricter environmental regulations, and increased competition, driving the demand for innovative solutions to reduce operating expenses and environmental impact. Stern flaps, appendages installed at a ship's stern, have emerged as a promising solution for enhancing vessel hydrodynamics, reducing resistance, and improving propulsive efficiency, leading to significant fuel savings. This review paper analyses the literature on stern flaps' hydrodynamic performance, design, and optimisation for high-speed displacement ships to identify areas needing further research and development. This review advances sustainable and efficient shipping practices by investigating stern flap hydrodynamics and exploring optimisation techniques. It provides valuable insights for researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers, supporting efforts towards environmentally friendly and cost-effective shipping operations.

KEYWORDS:

• Stern flap
• ship stern appendages‌
• energy saving devices
• surrogate based optimisation (SBO)
• artificial intelligence (AI)
• machine learning (ML)

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Data availability statement

The authors declare that no data is used in this research.