A TECHNICAL COMPARISON BETWEEN MONOHULL AND PENTAMARAN PLATFORMS FOR HIGH SPEED OPERATION OF FUTURE NAVAL WARSHIPS

摘要

The need for future warships to operate at high speeds is currently being debated around the world. The tactical advantages that can be offered by a vessel with a high-speed capability are being balanced against concerns that such craft may be technically challenging and expensive. This paper describes a technical comparison between two theoretical frigate sized vessels based on monohull and Pentamaran forms. Computational techniques and model data have been used to make an assessment of the relative merits of the two hull forms with regard to powering and seakeeping in addition to stability, maneuverability, space and cost. The capital and fuel costs are illustrated for both vessels and it is shown that having a high-speed capability does not impose significant fuel cost increase.