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Ships in Waves. Motions and Operational Impacts

  • Book

  • October 2026
  • Elsevier Science and Technology
  • ID: 6251632

Ships in Waves: Motions and Operational Impacts delivers a structured and in-depth exploration of the core theories and phenomena governing vessel interactions with wave environments. Progressing from fundamental concepts to elaborate formulations, the book supports gradual engagement with complex material, facilitating confident physical understanding. Topics include ship oscillations (both in calm water and under wave excitation), stochastic wave modeling, responses in regular and irregular seas, and the consequences of extreme motions-such as dynamic loads, rolling, slamming, and capsizing.

Organized modularly, the contents allow selective study and targeted review based on the reader’s interest or specialization, uniquely bridging the divide between intricate technical knowledge and engineering application. In addition to the essential theoretical framework, cutting-edge advances and rarely covered aspects are also addressed, including wave energy converters and a critical review of the new IMO intact stability criteria.

Designed to serve audiences in academic and research contexts, this authoritative volume is especially valuable not only for assessing motion characteristics but also for enhancing system reliability and informing future design strategies for vessels, offshore platforms, floating structures, and other marine installations that demand a nuanced balance of performance, safety, and sustainability.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Basic Equations of Ship Motions in Waves
3. Ship Oscillations in Calm Water
4. Waves in a Seaway
5. Ship Motions in Regular Waves
6. Further Problems in Ship Rolling
7. Ship Motions in an Irregular Seaway: Basic Principles
8. Ship Motions in an Irregular Seaway: Major Consequences
9. Improving Ship Seakeeping
10. Roll Motion Control
11. Seakeeping Criteria and Ship Operability
12. Ship Dynamic Stability and Capsizing in Waves
13. Experimental Investigation of Ship Motion in Waves
- Epilogue
- Appendix 1: Nonlinear Equations of Angular Motion Modified Euler Angles
- Appendix 2: Added Mass and Damping Coefficients of Lewis Cross-Sections in Heave
- Appendix 3: Amplitude and Phase of a Sum of Harmonic Functions
- Appendix 4: Solution of Forced Oscillations with Two Degrees of Freedom
- Appendix 5: Test Ships in Numerical Examples

Authors

Milan Hofman (Retired) Professor, Department of Naval Architecture, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. Milan Hofman is a retired professor of Naval Architecture at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade. Over his distinguished career, he lectured on ship buoyancy and stability, ship systems, hydrodynamics, and ship design, while also introducing seakeeping as a standalone course. He served multiple terms as Head of the Department. Professor Hofman led and contributed to numerous research projects in ship dynamic stability, shallow water hydrodynamics, and ship design, publishing widely. In 2007, he, with his team, received the RINA-Lloyd's Register Ship Safety Award for pioneering work on risk-based stability regulations. For the past 15 years, he has focused on developing a novel wave energy converter, shifting from minimising to maximising body motions in waves. A fellow of RINA and SNAS (which he also led), and a member of GAMM, Professor Hofman considers his greatest legacy his former students, now respected engineers worldwide.