Analysis of an asymmetrical bridle towline model to stabilise towing performance of a towed ship

Abstract

This paper addresses an asymmetrical bridle towline model as a feasible solution model to stabilize towing performance of a towed ship. The basic thinking behind the approach adopted, is to deal with a better towing stability than employing the typical towline model1. Several towing parameters which may affect a towed ship motion behaviour i.e., tow angle and tow point position, are investigated theoretically. The nonlinear numerical time-domain simulation showed that the increase of towing angle up to 30 degrees and shifting tow point from 0.5 to 0.8 resulted in remarkable reduction in slewing motion of the unstable towed ship and the towline tension, which enhances effectively her towing stability.