DETERMINATION OF

SHIP RESISTANCE
Using Guldhammer and Harvald plots

Sangeet S U | B.Tech, Naval Architecture and Ship Building | June 10, 2015
 Table of Contents
METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ - 1 -
INTERFACE................................................................................................................................. - 2 -
STEPS FOLLOWED IN CREATING THE WORKBOOK ........................................................... - 4 -
Step 1 – What is Resistance? ................................................................................................... - 4 -
Step 2 – Collecting Resources ................................................................................................. - 4 -
Step 3 – Software Used ............................................................................................................ - 4 -
Step 4 – Software Output ........................................................................................................ - 5 -
Step 5 - Programming ............................................................................................................. - 6 -

Step 6 – Final Output .............................................................................................................. - 6 -

Step 7 - Control ....................................................................................................................... - 6 -
Why Guldhammer and Harvald? ............................................................................................... - 7 -
CALCULATION OF RESISTANCE ............................................................................................. - 7 -
CORRECTIONS IN VALUES ...................................................................................................... - 8 -
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. - 9 -

Ship Resistance by Guldhammer and Harvald (1965, 1974)................................................... - 9 -

Graphs for different L/ (1/3) ............................................................................................... - 19 -

BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... - 20 -
 METHODOLOGY
A macro enabled excel workbook was created for this purpose and most of the calculation and
formatting have been done using VBA Excel 2013. As a programming language that I’m not
familiar with, it took a great deal of time and effort to learn, write and debug the whole 676
lines of code that ensembles the file. A personal computer was used during the process.

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 INTERFACE
 A User form has been created to simplify the data input (Ship Particulars).
Click on the ‘Insert Main Particulars’ button to activate the user form/input panel.

Clicking on ‘Update’ shall assign the input to the required cells.

*You can manually assign the input to the required cells on Sheet 1 – Calculation.

 The main function is exercised by the ‘FIND’ button on the Sheet 1 – Calculation. It takes the
input into consideration and fills the rest of the form with the calculated output.

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 For different velocities the resistance, advanced velocity and thrust required are
calculated and tabulated in the format required for further calculations.

 A separate sheet has been assigned for each of the nine graphs of L/ (1/3) where the
coordinates of each prismatic coefficient line are listed in order.

Provision to find CR separately for each L/ (1/3). [‘crwop’ represents 103 CR]

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  You can read CR values of all L/ (1/3) together on Sheet 13- Cr readout.

STEPS FOLLOWED IN CREATING THE

WORKBOOK
Step 1 – What is Resistance?
Created an abstract of the paper on ship resistance by Guldhammer and Harvald that enlists
the procedure step by step. The necessary pages are depicted in the Reference section at the
end of the report.

Step 2 – Collecting Resources

Creased out all the nine graphs. I.e. adjusted the brightness and contrast of all the plots to help
increase readability during the process of digitization.

Step 3 – Software Used

Selected a suitable software to digitize the nine graphs. After some speculation, it was decided
that GetData Graph Digitizer would be the best option.

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 Step 4 – Software Output
The coordinates of the digitized graphs were sent to sheets named after their L/ (1/3) values.

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 Step 5 - Programming
Algorithm of Code
 Code was compiled to find the line corresponding to the input prismatic coefficient.
 This line was then searched for the required Froude’s number.
 Because the chances were slim on finding the exact scientific value among the
recorded coordinates linear regression interpolation was used to lock in the 103 CR
value for the required Froude’s number.
 The interpolated 103 CR value was then assigned to Sheet 1 for resistance calculation.

Step 6 – Final Output

Iterations were performed for the above mentioned algorithm for velocity varying from 10 to 18
knots. The values of resistance, advance velocity, and thrust required were tabulated as
required for further calculations in other workbooks.

Step 7 - Control
The above steps were consolidated into a single ActiveX handle/ button in sheet 1 called
‘FIND’.

The code takes approximately three seconds to complete on the test PC.

Separate handles have been created for different L/ (1/3) to find the value of 103 CR.

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 Why Guldhammer and Harvald?
Out of the many methods for the calculation of Ship Resistance, Guldhammer and Harvald
method has been considered due to its simplicity in determining the ship resistance for
commonly used hull forms. It is generally used for simple and tones curve ships.

An estimate of power requirements forms one of the most important and critical steps in
preliminary design. The power derived has a direct and significant effect on the deadweight
which can be carried by a given ship. It is therefore important to keep engine weight and
volume as low as possible. However, power is also a controlling factor on ship’s speed and
severe penalties can be incurred for not achieving this speed. Thus the designer requires a
margin of safety in power estimates. An estimate of power is one of the most complex factors
and it is related to a large number of design parameters. An additional complexity in the
design is the final choice of machinery based on the power estimates. Even when the
machinery type is chosen, the range of units available commercially is limited.

Since it is common that we calculate the resistance for vessels of standard form, i.e LCB, B/T
normally shaped sections, moderate cruiser stern and raked stem Guldhammer and Harvald
method was employed along with the ITTC 57 friction method.

CALCULATION OF RESISTANCE
1. Some immediate calculation requirements are carried out to get the general idea of the
problem we are about to deal with. This includes Reynolds number, Froude’s
number, Prismatic Coefficient of the ship, Volume Displacement, Frictional
Resistance coefficient, wetted surface area, ratio of length to the cubic root of
volume displacement.

2. The length of the ship is corrected for change in the density, kinematic viscosity or
temperature of surroundings.

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 3. The results of digitization [coordinates of plots] have been arranged in groups
according to length-displacement ratio and prismatic coefficient of the model.
4. The ships resistance is the total sum of residual resistance, frictional resistance,
incremental resistance and air resistance.
5. Therefore,
6. If the ship has to tow, R must be incremented by the force by ‘two-rope pull’.
7. The plots were prepared for a breadth-draught ratio of 2.5. Therefore corrections must
be made in the residual resistance coefficient to accommodate deviation from the
general breadth-draught ratio of 2.5.
8. The plots are intended to correspond to vessels with a longitudinal position of center
of buoyancy (LCB) near to what is today considered the best possible position.The
optimum LCB is a quantity that is in some doubt, and the available literature shows
differences of opinion that make the picture rather confused.
9. For higher speeds, ship resistance is dependant on LCB. A standard LCB is assumed
and plotted with respect to froude’s number. The standard LCB has in this way been
defined as a linear function on the froude number. Residual resistance coefficient is
corrected therefore ass follows.

CORRECTIONS IN VALUES

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 REFERENCES
Ship Resistance by Guldhammer and Harvald (1965, 1974)
An abstract for the same is given below:

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Graphs for different L/ (1/3)

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ship Resistance (Guldhammer and Harvald, 1965, 1974)

Microsoft Excel Power Programming with VBA (John Walkenbach)

Resistance and Propulsion of Ships (SV.AA.Harvald, TU Denmark)

Holtrop, J. and Mennen, G. G. (1978), A Statistical Power Prediction Method, International

Shipbuilding, Progress

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