A three-dimensional method to analyze the motions of a ship running in wave
s is presented, including the effects of the steady-flow potential. Basical
ly. the general formulations are based on the source distribution technique
by which the ship hull surface is regarded as the assembly of many panels.
The present study includes three algorithms for treating the corresponding
Green function: (i) the Hess & Smith algorithm for the part of simple sour
ce l/r, (ii) the complex plane contour integral of the Shen & Farell algori
thm for the double integral of steady flow. and (iii) the series expansions
of the Telste & Noblesse algorithm for the Cauchy principal value integral
of unsteady flow. The study reveals that the effect of steady flow on ship
motions is generally small, but it still cannot be neglected in some cases
, especially for the ship running in oblique waves. The effect also depends
on the fore-aft configuration of the ship. The results predicted by the pr
esent method are found to be in fairly good agreement with existing experim
ents and other theories.