H∞ output feedback control method for the T-Foil of the Wave Piercing Catamaran

When the wave piercing catamaran is sailing in the ocean at a high speed, longitudinal motion might bring some adverse effects on its performance. The vertical acceleration generated makes the passengers and crew sick and the catamaran will be in a short-time failure. On general conditions, a ride control system is adopted to solve these problems. Firstly, a pitching and heaving motion model for the wave piercing catamaran shall be established to solve the hydrodynamic coefficient in the motion equation. With the random sea wave as the external interference and T-foil as the stable foil of the ride system, a model of longitudinal movement for the T-foil of the wave piercing catamaran is established. And finally, the controller is designed with the H∞ output feedback control strategy and the simulation experiments for the pitching and heaving of the vessel hull are successfully done, with a 90-meter-long wave piercing catamaran as the object of study. The result shows that the H∞ output feedback controller can effectively reduce the longitudinal motion and reduce the motion sickness incidence, which provides a reliable and practical method for reducing the longitudinal motion of the wave piercing catamaran.