Experimental research on hydrodynamic noise of a Wigley catamaran without marine propulsion

Abstract The hydrodynamic noise of surface vessels has recently received significant attention. The unclear mechanism of the scale effect makes it challenging to accurately convert the hydrodynamic noise obtained from a scaled model to the actual ship scale. This paper introduces a dynamic towing method for a Wigley catamaran on the lake to eliminate the impact of propeller noise and mechanical noise. An annular hydrophone array was used to test the underwater radiation noise of the Wigley catamaran at various distances and directions at speeds of 4 knots and 6 knots. The experimental results show that the hydrodynamic noise is a broadband sound with a continuous spectral distribution. The hydrodynamic noise has the maximum energy contribution in the range from 100 Hz to 10 kHz, with the peak frequency 1600 Hz.