A numerical study of second-order springing of an elastic body using higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM)

Second-order springing on an elastic body with forward speed is analyzed by numerical simulations. The boundary-value problem for the velocity potential is solved by means of the direct time-domain higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM). The free-surface boundary condition in the boundary-value problem is approximated on the mean surface up to second order by use of perturbation and Taylor-series expansion methods. The body boundary condition for an elastic body is derived with various quantities which are redefined in the generalized mode. These variables such as mode shape, normal vector, etc. are obtained by using directional derivative and continuum mechanics, and the same mathematical expressions are used to obtain several second-order generalized forces. To validate the numerical results, the second-order hydrodynamic force on the bottom-mounted rigid/elastic cylinders without forward speed is compared with other semi-analytic results. The property of second-order forces on an elastic ship is studied by changing the flexural rigidity and forward speed with elastic response. It is confirmed that the second-order velocity potential is important for a body with forward speed and investigation should be made more on numerical methods for accurate computation of the second-order velocity-potential force with forward speed.     

A novel decomposition of the quadratic transfer function (QTF) for the time-domain simulation of non-linear wave forces on floating bodies

In the present study, a novel method is proposed for the separation of the second-order sum- and difference-frequency wave forces—that is, quadratic transfer functions (QTFs)—on a floating body into three components due to wave–wave, wave–motion, and motion–motion action. By applying the new QTF components, the second-order wave forces on a floating body can be strictly computed in the time domain. In this work, the boundary value problems (BVPs) corresponding to the three kinds of QTF components were derived, and non-homogeneous boundary conditions on the free surface and the body surface were obtained. The second-order diffraction potentials were determined using the boundary integral equation method. In the solution procedure, the highly oscillatory and slowly converging integral on the free surface was evaluated in an accurate and effective manner. Furthermore, the application of the QTF components in the time domain was demonstrated. The second-order exciting forces in the time domain were divided into three parts. Each part of these forces was computed via a two-term Volterra series model based on the incident waves, the first-order motion response, and the QTF components. This method was applied to several numerical examples. The results demonstrated that this decomposition yields satisfactory results.     

Nonlinear simulations of wave-induced motions of a freely floating body using WCSPH method

Nonlinear interactions between waves and floating bodies are investigated using the weakly compressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic (WCSPH) method. An improved algorithm based on the dynamic boundary particles (DBPs) is proposed to treat the moving boundary of the floating body. The force exerted on the floating body boundary particle by the particles surrounding it is evaluated using the volume integration of the stress tensors obtained from the momentum equation in its compact support. The improved WCSPH model is validated by the experimental results. The numerical test cases of the vertical oscillation of a rectangular box, the damped rolling oscillation of a floating box and the wave forces on a fixed rectangular box are then carried out to demonstrate the performance of the proposed model. Finally the evolution in time of the dynamic response of the freely floating body under nonlinear waves are discussed and compared with experimental results.     

Nonlinear hydroelastic analysis of a moored floating body

By integration of the second-order fluid pressure over the instantaneous wetted surface, the generalized first- and second-order fluid forces used in nonlinear hydroelastic analysis are obtained. The expressions for coefficients of the generalized first- and second-order hydrodynamic forces in irregular waves are also given. The coefficients of the restoring forces of a mooring system acting on a flexible floating body are presented. The linear and nonlinear three-dimensional hydroelastic equations of motion of a moored floating body in frequency domain are established. These equations include the second-order forces, induced by the rigid body rotations of large amplitudes in high waves, the variation of the instantaneous wetted surface and the coupling of the first order wave potentials. The first-order and second-order principal coordinates of the hydrelastic vibration of a moored floating body are calculated. The frequency characteristics of the principal coordinates are discussed. The numerical results indicate that the rigid resonance and the coupling resonance of a moored floating body can occur in low frequency domain while the flexible resonance can occur in high frequency domain. The hydroelastic responses of a moored box-type barge are also given in this paper. The effects of the second-order forces on the modes are investigated in detail.     

Difference-frequency wave loads on a large body in multi-directional waves

The second-order difference-frequency wave forces on a large three-dimensional body in multi-directional waves are computed by the boundary integral equation method and the so-called FML formulation (assisting radiation potential method). Semi-analytic solutions for a bottom-mounted vertical circular cylinder are also developed to validate the numerical method. Difference-frequency wave loads on a bottom-mounted vertical cylinder and stationary four legs of the ISSC tension-leg platform (TLP) are presented for various combinations of incident wave frequencies and headings. These force quadratic transfer functions (QTF) can directly be used in studying slowly varying wave loads in irregular short-crested seas described by a particular directional spectrum. From our numerical results, it is seen that the slowly varying wave loads are in general very sensitive to the directional spreading function of the sea, and therefore wave directionality needs to be taken into account in relevant ocean engineering applications. It is also pointed out that the uni-directionality of the sea is not necessarily a conservative assumption when the second-order effects are concerned.     

Run-up on a body in waves and current. Fully nonlinear and finite-order calculations

Run-up on a large fixed body in waves and current have been calculated using both a fully nonlinear time-domain boundary element model and a finite-order time-domain boundary element model, the latter being correct to second order in the wave steepness and to first-order in the current strength. The results from the two models agree well in the low Froude number and low wave steepness regime. This serves as a cross-validation of the two boundary element models. Furthermore, the two sets of data provide an excellent method for examining the domain of validity for the second-order method. Such limits are, for the case studied, given in terms of maximum Froude number and maximum wave steepness.     

Application of smoothed particle hydrodynamics for modeling the wave-moored floating breakwater interaction

The application of a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) model to simulate the nonlinear interaction between waves and a moored floating breakwater is presented. The main aim is to predict and validate the response of the moored floating structure under the action of periodic waves. The Euler equations together with an artificial viscosity are used as the governing equations to describe the flow field. The motion of the moored floating body is described using the Newton’s second law of motion. The interactions between the waves and structures are modeled by setting a series of SPH particles on the boundary of the structure. The hydrodynamic forces acting on the floating body are evaluated by summing up the interacting forces on the boundary particles from the neighboring fluid particles. The water surface elevations, the movements of the floating body and the moored forces are all calculated and compared with the available experimental data. Good agreements are obtained for the dynamic response and hydrodynamic performance of the floating body. The numerical results of different immersion depths of the floating body are compared with that of the corresponding fixed body. The effects of the relative length and the density of the structure on the performance of the floating body are analyzed.     

A quasi-cloaking phenomenon to reduce the wave drift force on an array of adjacent floating bodies

The mooring of offshore floating structures, such as offshore platforms, in large waves against drift forces and rotational moments is a challenging problem in offshore engineering. To accurately investigate such problems, called positioning problems, the time-averaged steady forces of the second order known as the wave drift forces must be taken into account. Fortunately, a cloaking phenomenon occurs under certain conditions and dramatically reduces the wave drift force acting on such a floating body, as previously reported by several researchers. In the diffraction problem of water waves, cloaking refers to the condition where there is no scattering in the form of radial outgoing waves. The reduction of wave drift force on a truncated cylinder with the occurrence of cloaking phenomenon has been numerically and experimentally confirmed. In this paper, the arrangement of several small circular cylinders at regular intervals in a circle concentric with a fixed floating body is considered as an effective means of reducing the wave drift force. Using a combination of a higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM) and wave interaction theory, the influences of the geometric parameters of the outer surrounding cylinders on the wave drift force and the total scattered-wave energy are systematically investigated and discussed. A quasi-cloaking phenomenon is first found and reported in the present study, which is beneficial and flexible for application in practical engineering. More than one quasi-cloaking trigger (where a trigger is an occurrence condition) can be found simply by varying the distance between the inner and outer floating bodies.     

Numerical prediction of MODUs drift during Hurricane Katrina

Severe hurricanes, such as Katrina, broke the mooring lines of a number of mobile offshore drilling units (MODU) deployed in the Gulf of Mexico and some of those MODUs went adrift. A drifting MODU may damage other critical elements of the offshore oil and gas infrastructure by colliding with floating or fixed production systems and transportation hubs, or by rupturing pipelines owing to their dragging anchors over the seabed. To avoid or mitigate the damage caused by a drifting MODU, it is desirable to understand the mechanics of the drift of a MODU under the impact of severe wind, wave and current and have the capability of predicting the trajectory of the drift. To explore the feasibility and accuracy of predicting the trajectory of a drifting MODU based on hindcast met-ocean conditions and limited knowledge of the condition of the drifting MODU, this study employed a simplified equation describing only the horizontal (surge, sway and yaw) motions of a MODU under the impact of steady wind, current and wave forces. The simplified hydrodynamic model neglects the first- and second-order oscillatory wave forces, unsteady wind forces (owing to wind gustiness), wave drift damping, and the effects of the body oscillation on the steady wind and current forces. It was assumed that the net effects of the oscillatory forces on the steady motion are insignificant. To verify the accuracy and feasibility of our simplified approach, the predicted drifting trajectories of two MODUs were compared with the corresponding measurements recorded by the global positioning system (GPS).     

Nonlinear wave interaction with a vertical circular cylinder: wave forces

Second-order wave forces on a large diameter vertical circular cylinder, computed according to a semi-analytic nonlinear diffraction theory, are compared to results of 22 laboratory experiments with regular waves. In general, predicted forces agree quite well with measured forces. In most tests, both measured and predicted maximum forces exceeded linear theory by 5 to 15%. In a few cases, however, the measured forces were less than those predicted by linear theory, in contrast to the second-order predictions. It is shown that these results are related to the phasing of various linear and nonlinear wave force components, and are consistent with those obtained by other investigators.     

浅化波浪层流边界层流速分布特性的数值分析

建立了同时考虑波致雷诺应力和时均水平压强梯度影响的二阶波浪边界层数学模型,模型计算得到的浅化波浪层流边界层内瞬时流速剖面、振荡速度幅值和时均流速剖面均与水槽实验数据吻合较好,在此基础上探讨了浅化波浪边界层流速分布特性及其影响机制。随着波浪的浅化变形,边界层内时均流速剖面"底部向岸、上部离岸"的变化特征越来越明显。这是二阶对流项引起的波致雷诺应力和离岸回流引起的时均水平压强梯度共同作用的结果,在床面附近由波致雷诺应力占主导作用并趋于引起向岸流动,在上部区域由时均水平压强梯度占主导作用并趋于引起离岸流动。     

On the nonlinear hydrodynamic forces for a ship advancing in waves

In this paper, using a second-order steady-state approach and a three-dimensional (3D) pulsating source distribution method derives the nonlinear hydrodynamic forces on a ship advancing in waves. The nonlinear hydrodynamic forces considered here consist of the mean lateral drifting force and the added resistance, which can be expressed as products of the ship-motion responses, the radiation potential, diffraction potential and the incident-wave potential. All related velocity potentials applied in the calculations are in 3D form. The Series 60 and Marine ship hulls are used for numerical calculations and the results are compared with existing experimental data and two-dimensional (2D) solutions. The comparisons show that the results obtained in the paper generally agree with experimental data well. It is also found that the nonlinear hydrodynamic forces obtained based on the present 3D source distribution methods are indeed improved in some calculations compared with the 2D method, especially for the mean lateral drifting force.     

Third order wave force on axisymmetric bodies

The third order triple-frequency wave load on fixed axisymmetric bodies by monochromatic waves is considered within the frame of potential theory. Waves are assumed to be weak non-linearity and a perturbation method is used to expand velocity potentials and wave loadings into series according to a wave steepness of kA. Integral equation method is used to compute velocity potentials up to second order in wave steepness. The third order triple-frequency wave loads are computed by an indirect method and an efficient method is applied to form the third order forcing term on the free surface quickly. The method can be used to compute third order triple-frequency surge force, heave force and pitch moment on any revolution bodies with vertical axes. The comparison with Malenica and Molin's results is made on surge force on a uniform cylinder, and comparison with experimental results is made on third order surge force, heave force and pitch moment on a truncated cylinder. More numerical computations are carried out for third order forces and moments on a uniform cylinder, truncated cylinders and a hemisphere.     

Steady drift force on vertical cylinder - viscous vs. potential

The contribution of the steady drift force on a floating structure may arise from waves, wind and current. The component of the wave drift force may be due to the second-order diffraction theory or potential effect and may be due to the velocity squared force or viscous effect. The presence of current in waves increases the effect of the viscous force. The expressions for these terms for a vertical cylinder are derived and their relative importance is investigated. Plots are presented showing the regions where the viscous or potential drift force predominates. Experiments were conducted with both small and large diameter cylinders. The mean drift forces obtained in these tests are compared with the theory.     

张力腿平台内孤立波作用特性数值模拟

依据三类内孤立波理论KdV、eK dV和MCC的适用性条件,采用Navier-Stokes方程为流场控制方程,以内孤立波诱导上下层深度平均水平速度作为入口边界条件,建立了两层流体中内孤立波对张力腿平台强非线性作用的数值模拟方法。结果表明,数值模拟所得内孤立波波形及其振幅与相应理论和实验结果一致,并且在内孤立波作用下张力腿平台水平力、垂向力及力矩数值模拟结果与实验结果吻合。研究同时表明,张力腿平台内孤立波载荷由波浪压差力、粘性压差力和摩擦力构成,其中摩擦力很小,可以忽略;水平力的主要成分为波浪压差力和粘性压差力,粘性压差力与波浪压差力相比较小却不可忽略,流体粘性的影响较小;垂向力中粘性压差力很小,流体粘性影响可以忽略。     

Harmonic generation by waves propagating over a submerged step

Harmonic generation by waves propagating over a two-dimensional submerged step is investigated. A nonlinear theory correct to second order is presented for steps of infinite and finite lengths subjected to single harmonic waves.The boundary value problem for the second-order scattered velocity potential is linearly decomposed into two separate boundary value problems, each having only one inhomogeneous boundary condition.Theoretical results indicate that the higher harmonics are generated in the shallow-water region over a step and then are transmitted to the deeper water as free waves.Numerical calculations compare favourably with existing experimental data.     

Probability distribution of random wave–current forces

Based on the second-order solutions obtained for the three-dimensional weakly nonlinear random waves propagating over a steady uniform current in finite water depth, the joint statistical distribution of the velocity and acceleration of the fluid particle in the current direction is derived using the characteristic function expansion method. From the joint distribution and the Morison equation, the theoretical distributions of drag forces, inertia forces and total random forces caused by waves propagating over a steady uniform current are determined. The distribution of inertia forces is Gaussian as that derived using the linear wave model, whereas the distributions of drag forces and total random forces deviate slightly from those derived utilizing the linear wave model. The distributions presented can be determined by the wave number spectrum of ocean waves, current speed and the second order wave–wave and wave–current interactions. As an illustrative example, for fully developed deep ocean waves, the parameters appeared in the distributions near still water level are calculated for various wind speeds and current speeds by using Donelan–Pierson–Banner spectrum and the effects of the current and the nonlinearity of ocean waves on the distribution are studied.     

Linear and nonlinear irregular waves and forces in a numerical wave tank

A time-domain higher-order boundary element scheme was utilized to simulate the linear and nonlinear irregular waves and diffractions due to a structure. Upon the second-order irregular waves with four Airy wave components being fed through the inflow boundary, the fully nonlinear boundary problem was solved in a time-marching scheme. The open boundary was modeled by combining an absorbing beach and the stretching technique. The proposed numerical scheme was verified by simulating the linear regular and irregular waves. The scheme was further applied to compute the linear and nonlinear irregular wave diffraction forces acting on a vertical truncated circular cylinder. The nonlinear results were also verified by checking the accuracy of the nonlinear simulation.     

Mean and low frequency wave drifting forces on floating structures

A recently developed method, based on three-dimensional potential theory, to compute the mean wave drifting forces on a free floating structure in regular waves, is extended to include low frequency oscillatory components which arise when the structure is floating in regular wave groups consisting of two regular waves with small difference frequency. This completes the information necessary for the determination of the wave drifting forces under arbitrary irregular wave conditions.In regular wave groups the drifting forces not only depend on the first order velocity potential and the first body motions, but also on the wave exciting forces due to the low frequency part of the second order potential. For the general three-dimensional case the latter contribution can only be determined numerically and at the expense of long computation times. Since this contribution is generally not large compared to components which may be determined using linear potential theory it is included using a simple approximation. Results of the method of approximation are compared with some two-dimensional cases for which exact solutions are known.Results of computations of the total mean and low frequency surge forces on a rectangular barge and a column stabilized semi-submersible platform are presented. For both structures, the computed mean surge drifting forces in regular head waves are compared with results of model tests.The computed components of the total mean drifting forces are presented. It appears that for both the barge and the semi-submersible the same components are of importance.For the semi-submersible, the computed low frequency second order surge forces in head waves are compared with results obtained from a test in irregular head waves using cross-bispectral analysis methods.