Minimal fuel consumption and highly maneuverable marine vessels design based on ASAP hull technology and sontag non-linear feedback stabilization

The present paper proposes a new hull design called ASAP (All Speeds Array of Pods). The new hull combines both the advantages of SLICE and SWATH hulls. A fifth moveable pod is added amid the SLICE pods to achieve this goal. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software is used to optimize the proposed hull by adapting pods locations as well as fifth pod dimensions. The paper includes a comprehensive comparison between SLICE and ASAP hulls based on resistance, technology, cost, structural analysis and sea-sickness/ sea-keeping behavior aspects. To further ensure the feasibility of the proposed hull design and improve its dynamic stability and fuel consumption, a control scheme based on Sontag non-linear feedback universal stabilization formula is proposed. The control scheme can be employed at both fifth pod lifting mechanism level and autopilot level. The present study verifies that the proposed hull is a truly competitive alternative to existing hull technologies.