Objective  This study aims to investigate the drag reduction effect of hydrofoils and further improve the resistance performance of channel planning hulls at high speed.

Method  Resistance characteristic calculations and evaluations were performed on channel hydrofoil planning hulls using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The resistance characteristics of channel planning hulls and channel hydrofoil planning hulls were compared, and the mechanisms by which hydrofoils influence resistance and motion posture at various speeds were explored.

Results  The study systematically reveals the speed-dependent resistance characteristics, motion posture, and optimization mechanisms of channel hydrofoil planning hulls. At moderate and low speeds, the hydrofoils have limited effects on hull resistance and draft. However, under high-speed conditions, hydrofoils significantly reduce both total resistance and average draft by generating additional lift, with resistance improvement exhibiting a nonlinear growth trend. The coupling effect between hydrofoils and the hull reduces the overall lift-drag ratio of the vessel, enabling the main hull to exhibit lower resistance under the same lift force and inducing characteristics of enhanced flow field nonlinearity. At high speeds, hydrofoils improve the flow field by suppressing boundary layer separation, homogenizing the pressure distribution on the channel bottom, and reducing the wetted surface area.

Conclusion This study provides technical references for the design and development of channel hydrofoil planning hulls.