Determination of the Resistance Load Curve of a Hydrogen Support Vessel for Propulsion System Dimensioning

This thesis presents the modelling of the dynamics of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Hydrogen Support Vessel (HSV), designed to support the AC75 class boats in the oldest sailing competition, the America's Cup. The vessel is a catamaran with foiling technology and a hybrid propulsion system, which combines an electric motor with hydrogen fuel cells. During the competition, the support vessel is essential for transporting team members, equipment, and supplies, as well as for safety and rescue operations during training and races. It also monitors and assists the AC75 foiling yachts, ensuring efficient logistics and enabling optimal race performance. A key aspect of this work is the determination of a resistance load curve, essential for accurately sizing the propulsion system, particularly the electric motor, using the Matlab/Simulink environment. The simulation model facilitates the evaluation of the boat's performance under various conditions, for example different cruising speeds or target heights to be reached during foiling mode. To obtain the load curve, the thesis focuses on implementing a theoretical model for aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces, and applying control strategies to regulate the boat's height, control pitch angle, and actuate flap angle. Model validation was carried out by comparing simulation outputs with steady-state power estimates derived from the vessel's sea trials. Additionally, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) data were utilized to refine the resistance curves, ensuring a more accurate representation of real-world conditions. The final results show the load curve used to evaluate the power required by the electric motor to maintain a certain cruising speed, and the characteristic curves such as efficiency map, speed-torque/power curves.