Hydroelastic Response of VLFS with An Attached Submerged Horizontal Solid/Porous Plate Under Wave Action

The hydroelastic responses of a submerged horizontal solid/porous plate attached at the front of a very large rectangular floating structure(VLFS) under wave action has been investigated in the context of linear water wave theory. Darcy's law is adopted to represent energy dissipation in pores. It is assumed that the porous plates are made of material with very fine pores so that the normal velocity across the perforated porous is linearly associated with the pressure drop. In the analytic method, the eigenfunction expansion-matching method(EEMM) for multiple domains is applied to solve the hydrodynamic problem and the elastic equation of motion is solved by the modal expansion method. The performance of the proposed submerged horizontal solid/porous plate can be significantly enhanced by selecting optimal design parameters, such as plate length, horizontal position, submerged depth and porosity. It is concluded that good damping effect can be achieved through installation of solid and porous plate.Porous plate has better damping effect at low frequencies, while solid plate has better damping effect at high frequencies. The optimal ratio of plate length to water depth is 0.25-0.375, and the optimal ratio of submerged depth to water depth is 0.09-0.181.     

Hydroelastic responses and drift forces of a very-long floating structure equipped with a pin-connected oscillating-water-column breakwater system

The hydroelastic responses of a very-long floating structure (VLFS) in waves connected to a floating oscillating-water-column (OWC) breakwater system by a pin are analyzed by making use of the modal expansion method in two dimensions. The Bernoulli–Euler beam equation for the VLFS is coupled with the equations of motions of the breakwater taking account of the geometric and dynamic boundary conditions at the pin. The Legendre polynomials are employed as admissible functions representing the assumed modes of the VLFS with pinned-free-boundary conditions. It has been shown numerically that the deflections, bending moments and shear forces of the VLFS in waves can be reduced significantly by a pin-connected OWC breakwater. The time-mean horizontal drift forces of the VLFS equipped with the breakwater calculated by the near-field method are also presented.     

Oblique Wave-Induced Responses of A VLFS Edged with A Pair of Inclined Perforated Plates

This paper is concerned with the hydroelastic responses of a mat-like, rectangular very large floating structure (VLFS) edged with a pair of horizontal/inclined perforated anti-motion plates in the context of the direct coupling method. The updated Lagrangian formulae are applied to establish the equilibrium equations of the VLFS and the total potential formula is employed for fluids in the numerical model including the viscous effect of the perforated plates through the Darcy''s law. The hybrid finite element-boundary element (FE-BE) method is implemented to determine the response reduction of VLFS with attached perforated plates under various oblique incident waves. Also, the numerical solutions are validated against a series of experimental tests. The effectiveness of the attached perforated plates in reducing the deflections of the VLFS can be significantly improved by selecting the proper design parameters such as the porous parameter, submergence depth, plate width and inclination angle for the given sea conditions.     

Extracting energy while reducing hydroelastic responses of VLFS using a modular raft wec-type attachment

This paper presents the use of a modular raft Wave Energy Converter (WEC)-type attachment at the fore edge of a rectangular Very Large Floating Structure (VLFS) for extracting wave energy while reducing hydroelastic responses of the VLFS under wave action. The proposed modular attachment comprises multiple independent auxiliary pontoons (i.e. modules) that are connected to the fore edge of the VLFS with hinges and linear Power Take-Off (PTO) systems. For the hydroelastic analysis, the auxiliary pontoons and the VLFS are modelled by using the Mindlin plate theory while the linear wave theory is used for modelling the fluid motion. The analysis is performed in the frequency domain using the hybrid Finite Element-Boundary Element (FE-BE) method. Parametric studies are carried out to investigate the effects of pontoon length, PTO damping coefficient, gap between auxiliary pontoons, and incident wave angle on the power capture factor as well as reductions in the hydroelastic responses of the VLFS with the modular attachment. It is found that in oblique waves, the modular attachment comprising multiple narrow pontoons outperforms the corresponding rigid attachment that consists of a single wide pontoon with respect to the power capture factor and the reduction in the deflection of the VLFS. In addition, it is possible to have a considerable gap between pontoons without significantly compromising the effectiveness of the modular attachment.     

Hydroelastic analysis of cantilever plate in time domain

Numerical solutions for the hydroelastic problems of bodies are studied directly in the time domain using Neumann–Kelvin formulation. In the hydrodynamic part of problem, the exact initial boundary value problem is linearized using the free stream as a basis flow, replaced by the boundary integral equation applying Green theorem over the transient free surface Green function. The resultant boundary integral equation is discretized using quadrilateral elements over which the value of the potential is assumed to be constant and solved using the trapezoidal rule to integrate the memory or convolution part in time. In the structure part of the problem, the finite element method is used to solve the hydroelastic problem. The Mindlin plate as a bending element, which includes transverse shear effect and rotary inertia effect are used. The present numerical results show acceptable agreement with experimental, analytical, and other published numerical results.     

Reduction of hydroelastic responses of a very-long floating structure by a floating oscillating-water-column breakwater system

The hydroelastic responses of a very-long floating structure (VLFS) placed behind a reverse T-shape freely floating breakwater with a built-in oscillating water column (OWC) chamber are analyzed in two dimensions. The Bernoulli–Euler beam equation is coupled with the equations of rigid and elastic motions of the breakwater and the VLFS. The interaction of waves between the floating rigid breakwater and the elastic VLFS is formulated in a consistent manner. It has been shown numerically that the structural deflections of the VLFS can be reduced significantly by a suitably designed reverse T-shape floating breakwater.     

On the Interaction of Surface Waves with An Elastic Plate of Finite Length in Head Seas

An eigen-function expansion method based on a new orthogonal inner product is proposed by Sahoo et al. (2000) for the study of the hydroelastic response of mat-type VLFS in head seas. However, their main emphasis is on the effect of edge conditions and they assume that the plate is of a semi-infinite length. In reality, the plate is of finile length. For consider-alion of the finite length effect, the reflection and transmission from the other end must be considered. The effect of this reflection and transmission on the hydroelaslic response of VLFS is of interest for praclical application. Furthermore, the physi-cal meaning of the new inner producl was not given in their paper. In this paper, it is shown that the new inner product can be derived from the governing equation and the bottom boundary conditions. Then the same eigen-function expansion method is adopted for the study of the hydroelastic response of an elastic plate of finite length in surface waves. Delailed comparisons are made between the     

Interaction of ocean waves with floating and submerged horizontal flexible structures in three-dimensions

A three-dimensional general mathematical hydroelastic model dealing with the problem of wave interaction with a floating and a submerged flexible structure is developed based on small amplitude wave theory and linear structural response. The horizontal floating and submerged flexible structures are modelled with a thin plate theory. The linearized long wave equations based on shallow water approximations are derived and results are compared. Three-dimensional Green’s functions are derived using fundamental source potentials in water of finite and infinite depths. The expansion formulae associated with orthogonal mode-coupling relations are derived based on the application of Fourier transform in finite and infinite depths in case of finite width in three-dimensions. The usefulness of the expansion formula is demonstrated by analysing a physical problem of surface gravity wave interaction with a moored finite floating elastic plate in the presence of a finite submerged flexible membrane in three-dimensions. The numerical accuracy of the method is demonstrated by computing the complex values of reflected wave amplitudes for different modes of oscillation and mooring stiffness. Further, the effect of compressive force and modes of oscillations on a free oscillation hydroelastic waves in a closed channel of finite width and length for floating and submerged elastic plate system is analysed.     

Hydroelastic response of a circular plate in waves on a two-layer fluid of finite depth

The hydroelastic response of a circular, very large floating structure （VLFS）, idealized as a floating circular elastic thin plate, is investigated for the case of time-harmonic incident waves of the surface and interfacial wave modes, of a given wave frequency, on a two-layer fluid of finite and constant depth. In linear potential-flow theory, with the aid of angular eigenfunction expansions, the diffraction potentials can be expressed by the Bessel functions. A system of simultaneous equations is derived by matching the velocity and the pressure between the open-water and the plate-covered regions, while incorporating the edge conditions of the plate. Then the complex nested series are simplified by utilizing the orthogonality of the vertical eigenfunctions in the open-water region. Numerical computations are presentedto investigate the effects of different physical quantities, such as the thickness of the plate, Young＇s modulus, the ratios ofthe densities and of the layer depths, on the dispersion relations of the flexural-gravity waves for the two-layer fluid.Rapid convergence of the method is observed, but is slower at higher wave frequency. At high frequency, it is found that there is some energy transferred from the interfacial mode to the surface mode.     

底部呈二维缓变情况下超大型浮体水弹性响应的两种计算方法比较

超大型浮体在海洋资源开发和海洋空间利用方面有重要应用前景.非均匀海洋环境中的水弹性响应是其应用中的一个重要问题.在近海中最典型的非均匀海洋环境当属由于底部变化引起的非均匀现象.本文分别采用多重尺度法（零阶近似）和常规的有限水深势流格林函数边界积分法,对底部呈二维缓变情况下超大型浮体的水弹性响应问题进行了研究和对比,并与实验工况进行了对照.两种方法与试验结果吻合较好,证明非均匀海洋环境确实对超大型浮体的水弹性响应具有一定的影响.     

Evaluation of bending moments and shear forces at unit connections of very large floating structures using hydroelastic and rigid body analyses

This paper investigates the characteristics of bending moments, shear forces and stresses at unit connections of very large floating structures (VLFS) under wave loads. The responses of VLFS are calculated by solving multi-body motion equation considering hydroelasticity and connection stiffness. Hydroelastic responses are calculated by the direct method. Higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM) is used for fluid analysis and finite element method (FEM) is introduced for structural analysis. The equation of motion is modified to describe the unit connections by employing spring elements. Bending moments and shear forces at the connections are obtained from the dynamic equilibrium condition for pressures and inertia forces. Two types of VLFS units such as tandem arranged units and side-by-side arranged units are considered in the numerical examples. The influences of connection stiffness, wave frequency and heading angle on responses of VLFS are investigated through the numerical examples. Rigid body analysis along with hydroelastic analysis is also carried out in the numerical analysis and comparison of those two approaches is discussed.     

A Study on Hydroelastic Response of Box-Type Very Large Floating Structures

The application of very large floating structure (VLFS) to the utilization of ocean space and exploitation of ocean resources has become one of the issues of great interest in international ocean engineering field. Owing to the advantage of simplicity in structure and low cost of construction and maintenance, box-type VLFS can be used in the calm water area near the coast as the structure configuration of floating airport. In this paper, a 3D linear hydroelastic theory is used to study the dynamic response of box-type VLFS in sinusoidal regular waves. A beam model and a 3D FEM model are respectively employed to describe the dynamic characteristics of the box-type structure in vacuum. A hydrodynamic model (3D potential theory of flexible body) is applied to investigate the effect of different dry models on the hydroelastic response of box-type structure. Based on the calculation of hydroelastic response in regular waves, the rigid body motion displacement, flexible deflection, and the short term and long     

An Improved Simplified Method for Predicting the Hydroelastic Response of Mat-Like VLFS

Very Large Floating Structures (VLFS) have received considerable attention recently. Efficient and accurate estimation of their hydroelastic responses in waves is very important for the design. The most efficient approach would obviously be the analytical one. Within the category of analytical approaches, the simplified method proposed by Ohkusu and his colleague are of special characteristics. However, when one studies their methods, several questions arise. The purpose of this paper is to critically study the simplified methods proposed by Ohkusu and his colleague in order to answer these questions. Some problems in their original methods have been found and possible improvements are suggested. It is concluded that the improved simplified method using the same idea of Ohkusu and his colleague could provide a reasonable estimate of the hydroelastic response of mat-like VLFS in a certain range of incident angles of waves.     

Wave interaction with a perforated wall breakwater with a submerged horizontal porous plate

This study examines the hydrodynamic performance of a new perforated-wall breakwater. The breakwater consists of a perforated front wall, a solid back wall and a submerged horizontal porous plate installed between them. The horizontal porous plate enhances the stability and wave-absorbing capacity of the structure. An analytical solution based on linear potential theory is developed for the interaction of water waves with the new proposed breakwater. According to the division of the structure, the whole fluid domain is divided into three sub-domains, and the velocity potential in each domain is obtained using the matched eigenfunction method. Then the reflection coefficient and the wave forces and moments on the perforated front wall and the submerged horizontal porous plate are calculated. The numerical results obtained for limiting cases are exactly the same as previous predictions for a perforated-wall breakwater with a submerged horizontal solid plate [Yip, T.L., Chwang, A.T., 2000. Perforated wall breakwater with internal horiontal plate. Journal of Engineering Mechanics ASCE 126 (5), 533–538] and a vertical wall with a submerged horizontal porous plate [Wu, J.H., Wan, Z.P., Fang, Y., 1998. Wave reflection by a vertical wall with a horizontal submerged porous plate. Ocean Engineering 25 (9), 767–779]. Numerical results show that with suitable geometric porosity of the front wall and horizontal plate, the reflection coefficient will be always rather small if the relative wave absorbing chamber width (distance between the front and back walls versus incident wavelength) exceeds a certain small value. In addition, the wave force and moment on the horizontal plate decrease significantly with the increase of the plate porosity.     

Wave Radiation by A Submerged Ring Plate in Water of Finite Depth

A plate submerged at a certain depth underneath the sea surface has been proposed as a structure type for different purposes, including motion response reduction, wave control, and wave energy harvesting. In the present study, the three-dimensional wave radiation problem is investigated in the context of the linear potential theory for a submerged ring plate in isolation or attached to a floating column as an appendage. In the latter case, the ring plate is attached at a certain distance above the column bottom. The structure is assumed to undergo a heave motion. An analytical model is developed to solve the wave radiation problem via the eigenfunction expansion method in association with the region-matching technique. With the velocity potential being available, the hydrodynamic coefficients, such as added mass and radiation damping, are obtained through the direct pressure integration. An alternative solution of radiation damping has also been developed in this study, in which the radiation damping is related to the Kochin function in the wave radiation problem. After validating the present model, numerical analysis is performed in detail to assess the influence of various plate parameters, such as the plate size and submergence depth. It is noted that the additional added mass due to the attached ring plate is larger than that when the plate is in isolation. Meanwhile, the radiation damping of the column for the heave motion can vanish at a specific wave frequency by attaching a ring plate, corresponding to a condition that there exist no progressive waves in the exterior region.     

Hydroelastic response of a very large floating structure over a variable bottom topography

An influence of sea-bottom topography on the hydroelastic response of a Very Large Floating Structure (VLFS) is considered. When the floating structure is constructed near the shore, the sea-bottom topographical effect should be considered. In this study, the effect of sea-bottom topography is investigated for four different bottom cases. To calculate the sea-bottom effects rigorously, the finite-element method based on the variational formulation is used in the fluid domain. The pontoon-type floating structure is modeled as the Kirchhoff plate. The mode superposition method is adopted for the hydroelastic behavior of the floating structure.     

Comparison of Linear Level I Green-Naghdi Theory with Linear Wave Theory for Prediction of Hydroelastic Responses of VLFS

Very Large Floating Structures (VLFS) have drawn considerable attention recently due to their potential significance in the exploitation of ocean resources and in the utilization of ocean space. Efficient and accurate estimation of their hydroelastic responses to waves is very important for the design. Recently, an efficient numerical algorithm was developed by Ertekin and Kim (1999). However, in their analysis, the linear Level I Green-Naghdi (GN) theory is employed to describe fluid dynamics instead of the conventional linear wave (LW) theory of finite water depth. They claimed that this linear level I GN theory provided betler predictions of the hydroelastic responses of VLFS than the linear wave theory. In this paper, a detailed derivation is given in the conventional linear wave theory framework with the same quantity as used in the linear level I GN theory framework. This allows a critical comparison between the linear wave theory and the linear level I GN theory. it is found that the linear level     

箱式超大型浮体在非均匀海洋环境下的水弹性试验

超大型浮体(Very Large foating Structure,VLFS)作为人类开发海洋的前沿基地,正在成为世界各国海洋工程界研究的一个热点。由于超大型浮体覆盖的面积比普通的船舶和海洋结构物要大很多,其首尾两端所处的海洋环境可能有显著的差异,因此必须考虑非均匀海洋环境对其水弹性性能的影响。介绍了国内首次进行的箱式超大型浮体在非均匀海洋环境中的水弹性试验,对非均匀海洋环境、超大型浮体的水弹性性能以及两者相互之间的关系进行了研究。     

Hydroelastic Analysis of Very Large Floating Structures Using Plate Green Functions

1 .IntroductionRecentlygreatinteresthasbeenshowninthedevelopmentofverylargefloatingstructuressuchasMegaFloatofJapan (Isobe ,1 999)andMOBofUSA (Remmers ,1 999) .Owingtotheirextremelargesizeandgreatflexibility ,thecouplingbetweenthestructuraldeformationandfluidmotionissignifi cant.Thisisatypicalproblemofhydroelasticity .Efficientandaccurateestimationofthehydroelasticresponseofverylargefloatingstructuresinwavesisveryimportantfordesign .Manymethodshavebeenproposedinliteratureforthepredictiono…     

Ray theory for predicting hydroelastic behavior of a very large floating structure in waves

The conceptual design of a very large floating structure (VLFS) requires a convenient computer code for predicting hydroelastic behavior of it. The code should not be time consuming, but it should be flexible for all environmental conditions. In order to meet the needs, we apply the ray theory for predicting hydroelastic behavior of a mat-like VLFS. The hydroelastic behavior of the VLFS is treated as wave propagation in the platform. The theory itself is based on the classical ray theory, which yields a quick computational scheme. The parabolic approximation is applied to smoothing the discontinuous deformation obtained by the classical ray theory. An experimental technique in a small wave tank with a mini scale model has been developed. Through comparisons with the mini scale experiment and other data found in literatures, it is confirmed that the ray theory has enough accuracy for the conceptual design, unless the assumptions of the ray theory are completely violated.