Numerical Simulation of the Resistance Performance of a Fully Submerged Hydrofoil Catamaran with Cavitation Effects

Yangfan Xu; Qi Chen; Xiaowei Ying; Hang Lin; Sajun Guo; Jingzhao Ji; Yijun Zhang

doi:10.2478/pomr-2026-0032

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Numerical Simulation of the Resistance Performance of a Fully Submerged Hydrofoil Catamaran with Cavitation Effects

Polish Maritime Research

Volume 33 (2026): Issue 3 (September 2026)

By: Yangfan Xu , Qi Chen , Xiaowei Ying , Hang Lin , Sajun Guo , Jingzhao Ji and Yijun Zhang

Open Access

|Sep 2026

Abstract

Cavitation restricts the maximum speed of a hydrofoil boat, and causes severe degradation of its hydrodynamic performance at high velocities. Most existing studies of hydrofoil catamaran design have been performed under non-cavitating conditions, leading to obvious discrepancies between predicted and practical performance. This work presents an efficient numerical framework based on adaptive mesh refinement for the simulation of cavitating flows around fully submerged hydrofoil catamarans. Hydrofoil cavitation analysis is used to determine the optimal layout of the strut and hydrofoil, and to validate the reliability of the cavitation model. A resistance analysis under cavitating conditions is conducted to verify the rationality of the flow-field setup, and to highlight the importance of cavitation research. The quantitative effects of the position of the stern hydrofoil on the resistance and cavitation characteristics are explored, and an optimal configuration is obtained to maximise the lift-to-drag ratio while minimising the cavitation area. This study reveals the cavitation mechanisms affecting hydrofoil catamarans and suggests some design guidelines for high-speed hydrofoil boats.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pomr-2026-0032 | Journal eISSN: 2083-7429 | Journal ISSN: 1233-2585

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Language: English

Page range: 15 - 29

Published on: Sep 10, 2026

Published by: Gdansk University of Technology

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

resistance performance,

cavitation,

hydrofoil,

hydrofoil catamaran,

fully submerged hydrofoil catamaran

Related subjects:

Engineering,

Introductions and overviews,

Engineering, other,

Geosciences,

Atmospheric science and climatology,

Life sciences,

Life sciences, other

© 2026 Yangfan Xu, Qi Chen, Xiaowei Ying, Hang Lin, Sajun Guo, Jingzhao Ji, Yijun Zhang, published by Gdansk University of Technology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 33 (2026): Issue 3 (September 2026)