Sesam – HydroD Tutorial

ship
Tools for creating section models for a simi-submersible
in HydroD
The purpose of this document is to describe how to use the various tools available in
ship
HydroD for creating and editing section models for a semi-submersible. This
includes:
• Using the model slicer
• Direct creation of section curves
• Sorting of section curves and points on curves
• Editing of curves
• Merging patches
For a general description of the section model see the HydroD user manual.

The panel model used in this tutorial can be found in

UserExamples/Plntools/inp/T2.FEM
There are two different ways of creating a section model from a FEM-model:
when you create the sections from the FEM file, the FEM must has the
• Using the Model slicer feature hydropressure on the hull pointing from the fluid to the panels. if you did
not put the hydro pressure the sections will not be created in hydroD
• Defining points by graphical selection on the FEM model
Graphical selection on a FEM model can only be done if the model is present as
a panel model so it is recommended to first import this FEM file as a panel
model, then create a new HydroModel and then create a Section model in this
new Hydro model. In the Define Section model dialogue select the option Create
from scratch, and tick the symmetry box. It may be a good idea to tick here even
if the total section model is not symmetric since it will make the following work
easier.

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Method 1: Using the model slicer

Select the PlnPatches folder under the

newly created section model and then
select Auto create patch geometries from
the RMB menu on the folder.

In the menu that comes up specify Patch name prefix and patch type. Select File Model
Slicer and Select the file model that is to be used:

The cut planes are then defined in the table in the dialogue. This can be done directly or
by using the tools above the table. The cut plane is defined by specifying a point on the
plane and the normal vector. The bow and stern curves need not be defined. They are
automatically created if the tick box Add bow and stern curve is checked.

If you want to make use of graphical

selection make sure that this is
activated.

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Sesam – HydroD Tutorial

The easy method: Create transverse sections only.

The curves on the patch must be given from bow to stern so we will create them in this
order. (If this is not done it is possible to sort them afterwards.)
An easy way to specify a point is to graphically select the Visual Clipboard tab and place
the cursor in the Point line. When a point is selected in the graphical model the
coordinates are printed to this line. You may then use Copy/paste from this line to the
field where the point is to be specified.

In the bow region we need many sections since the geometry is rapidly varying:

In the midship region we need less sections:

The stern is ”linear” so we just manually

specify the two cut planes by finding the
appropriate x-coordinates from the model

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Sesam – HydroD Tutorial

The resulting patch looks as shown above. The bow and stern curves (marked
in red) have been automatically added.
When meshing this patch the option BowSternInteraction can be used so it is
allowed for the bow and stern curves to intersect the other curves. To obtain a
good mesh (in this particular example) it is probably a good idea to
• Delete (or make Inactive) the stern curve to obtain a transom stern
• Delete the first (lower) 4 or 5 points on the bow curve.
Making a curve Inactive may be preferable over deleting it since this retains
the geometry information in that curve. Such a a curve may be made active
again or the point information can be used in another context.

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Sesam – HydroD Tutorial

The best method: Create radial cut planes in the bow region.
very good for bow
For geometries as shown in the present example the mesh will be better if the curves
defining the bow region are defined as radial curves (a fan) rather than as curves in the
yz-plane. This can be easily achieved by using the radial plane filling tool.
Here you specify the starting cut, a point of rotation, the rotation axis (normally the z-
axis) and the rotation angle and step. Then a sequence of cuts are created all of which
pass through the rotation point.
Note:
It should be avoided that many sections end at the same point on the patch. This can
be avoided by defining the rotation point in the starboard part of the vessel some
distance from the centerplane.
important
Since all curves start at the symmetry plane this strategy will make sure that the x-
coordinate of the starting point is different for the different curves.

First select the rotation point:

Then select the direction of the first plane. By pointing to the two bars at the right hand side
of the menu an additional dialogue pops up. The most convenient option is the two points
option. The first point is identical to the rotation point (Center Point). The other can be
selected graphically as shown. (These fields are automatically updated with graphical
selection so you do not need to use the Visual Clipboard).

Finally fill in the total rotation angle and the

step between each plane. Rotation axis
vector is OK by default.

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Sesam – HydroD Tutorial

After completing the steps shown on the previous page you press Add planes to grid to
define the cuts according to specification.
the ending angle but the step could be small
It is better to make the rotation angle too large than too small. If it is too large you will get
some cuts that you do not want (which are easily identified by e.g. a negative y-coordinate
on the normal vector. Such planes can be easily deleted from the table.
In this case the final section is almost parallel to the yz.plane so we keep it.
After completing this you can proceed with creating cuts along the rest of the hull as
described in the previous section.

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The resulting patch looks as shown above. The bow and stern curves (marked
in red) have been automatically added.
When meshing this patch the option NoBowSternInteraction MUST be used
because the curves in the bow direction have overlapping x-coordinates (i.e. very important if
the smallest x on a curve is NOT larger than the largest x on the next curve). we use this
method to select
This also means that the bow and stern curves are not allowed to intersect
nobowstern
other curves. The bow curve satisfies this criterion, but the stern curve does intersection
not. option
In this case the stern curve should be deleted to obtain a transom stern. If a define transom
mesh on the transom is wanted this should be defined as a separate patch. separtely
To delete a curve select it and choose delete from the RMB menu. To make it
inactive (inactive curves are not used in the meshing) select the curve, select
Edit from the RMB menu and do as shown below:

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Sesam – HydroD Tutorial

Method 2: Define the curves directly

Select the PlnPatches folder and then select

New patch from the RMB menu on the
folder.

In the menu that comes up specify Patch

name prefix and patch type. Press OK.
Then select the newly created patch and
select New Section.

Now the points on the curve can be defined. This can be done directly or using graphic
selection. When using graphic selection click in the first line in the table. Then click a
point, then the next point until the last. After clicking a few points you can also try the
Continue Grid line option which will fill out the table with all nodes on the line. (This
option does not always work, in which case you must manually click all points on the
curve.)

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Sesam – HydroD Tutorial

Tools for modifying section models in HydroD

Edit curves

To edit a curve select it and select Edit

from the RMB menu. The following
window comes up:

The following types of editing is

available:
• Edit coordinates of a point
• Smooth the curve
• Append or insert new points
• Continue the curve along a grid line
• Swap the points

The points on a curve must be ordered from keel to deck. If the points have been created in
the opposite order they can be easily swapped. This can be done on a single curve (as
shown above) or for all curves on a patch by the command Swap all Sections on the RMB
menu for the pach.
very important

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Sesam – HydroD Tutorial

Tools for modifying section models in HydroD

Sort curves. very important to sort

Curves must be given from bow to stern. If the curves are not in the correct order
they can be sorted by HydroD.
Select the patch and select Edit.
In the menu that appears click Allow Edit and then Auto Order.

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Tools for modifying section models in HydroD

Sort patches.

Patches must be given such that all patches that give rise to the same waterline are in
tight sequence. In addition waterlines must be given from port to centre/starboard.
If the patches are not in the correct order they can be sorted by HydroD.
This is often necessary after mirroring.
It is also possible to change the symmetry flag. This may be required after mirroring
around the xz-plane.
Select Edit on PlnPatches folder.
Select a patch and drag it to its required position in the list.

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Sesam – HydroD Tutorial

Tools for modifying section models in HydroD

Create mirror image and transform model.

If the vessel is symmetric, but the analysis to be carried out for a condition with a
mean heel angle (e.g. a damaged condition) the model must be complete.
Also Wasim does not (yet) support a transformation from input system to global
system that includes a heel angle. Thus you need to rotate the section model with the
heel angle.
HydroD has tools to perform both these operations.
To create mirror images of selected patches select the Mirror patches command from
the RMB menu on the PlnPatches folder. Patches can be mirrored around all three
planes. Before clicking OK remember to select those patches that are to be mirrored
(normally all).

To transform patches select the Transform patches command from the RMB
menu on the PlnPatches folder. Then specify the transformation. Select
those patches that are to be transformed (normally all) and then click OK or
Apply.

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Export of pln-file from HydroD

HydroD do not have any direct command for exporting the section model to a pln-
file. However, when you create a mesh the pln-file to be meshed is written by
HydroD.
When you create a SectionHullMesh (i.e. using the Mesh command on the Section
model) the pln-file will be in a folder with the HydroModel name (HydroModel2 in
this example).
When you create a SectionMesh (i.e. using the Mesh command on a Setup activity or
a Wasim activity) the pln-file will be in the working directory for that activity.

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