A case study on stabiliser fin-hull interaction using CFD and model experiments

A case study was conducted to investigate and quantify stabiliser fin-hull interaction using a combination of Computational Fluid Dynamics and physical model experiments. The fin-hull interaction was studied by comparing the lift and drag of a stabiliser fin in a free stream condition and when attached to a hull. The findings of this case study showed that using free stream fin characteristics to predict performance of a stabiliser fin fitted to the hull resulted in an over-prediction of drag by up to 46% and under-prediction of lift by up to 75% for the speeds and angle of attack analysed. These discrepancies are for this case study only and in practice will vary for different hull forms, fin types, fin location and angles of attack. However, the research highlights the limitations of using free stream fin characteristics to predict the performance of a fin fitted to a hull.