The unsteady viscous flow around a 12000TEU ship model entering the Third Set of Panama Locks with different eccentricity is simulated by solving the unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations in combination with the [Formula: see text]SST turbulence model. Overset grid technology is utilized to maintain grid orthogonality and the effects of the free surface are taken into account. The hydrodynamic forces, vertical displacement as well as surface pressure distribution are predicted and analyzed. First, a benchmark test case is designed to validate the capability of the present methods in the prediction of the viscous flow around the ship when maneuvering into the lock. The accumulation of water in front of the ship during entry into a lock is noticed. A set of systematic computations with different eccentricity are then carried out to examine the effect of eccentricity on the ship–lock hydrodynamic interaction.
