As the Arctic Channel continues to be developed, collisions between polar navigation vessels and sea ice are inevitable, which will directly affect structural safety and vibration comfort. However, the numerical analysis method of ship-ice collision-induced vibration is not perfect, and the effect of fluid coupling is not typically considered. In this paper, a simplified numerical analysis method for ship-ice collision-induced vibration is proposed, in which a reliable ice load is obtained by first performing ship-ice-water-air coupled collision calculations, followed by ship-ice-water coupled vibration calculations to obtain the vibration response of the structure. In addition, this paper investigates the full coupling method and the modeling ranges and meshing sizes involved in the analysis ship-ice collision-induced vibration, and the computational efficiencies of the traditional ALE algorithm and S-ALE algorithm are compared. The results indicate that the simplified simulation analysis method and gradient meshing model improve the calculation accuracy and efficiency in ship-ice collision and vibration response analysis. Moreover, the modeling range of the water and air models cannot be less than 6 times the ship width, 2 times the ship length, and 1 times the ship depth, and the S-ALE algorithm saves 47.86% time compared to the ALE algorithm. The research results in this paper can provide a reference for the numerical simulation of ship-ice collision-induced vibration.
Highlights
● A simplified numerical analysis method for ship-ice collision induced vibration based on ship-ice water-air coupling.
● Computational process and modeling method for ship-ice-water-air full coupling collision analysis.
● Computational process and modeling method for ship-water-air full coupling vibration analysis.
● A highly efficient S-ALE coupling algorithm for large-scale fluid-structure coupling problems.
The real-time prediction of a floating platform or a vessel is essential for motion-sensitive maritime activities. It can enhance the performance of motion compensation system and provide useful early-warning information. In this paper, we apply a machine learning technique to predict the surge, heave, and pitch motions of a moored rectangular barge excited by an irregular wave, which is purely based on the motion data. The dataset came from a model test performed in the deep-water ocean basin, at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Using the trained machine learning model, the predictions of 3-DoF (degrees of freedom) motions can extend two to four wave cycles into the future with good accuracy. It shows great potential for applying the machine learning technique to forecast the motions of offshore platforms or vessels.
Highlights
● The real-time prediction of the motion of a floating platform in irregular wave.
● A machine learning technique is applied to predict the surge, heave, and pitch motions of a moored barge, which is purely based on the motion data.
● The dataset was generated from a model test performed in the deep-water ocean basin.
● The predictions of motions are validated by experimental measurements.
Nowadays seakeeping is mostly analyzed by means of model testing or numerical models. Both require a significant amount of time and the exact hull geometry, and therefore seakeeping is not taken into account at the early stages of ship design. Hence the main objective of this work is the development of a seakeeping prediction tool to be used in the early stages of ship design.
This tool must be fast, accurate, and not require the exact hull shape. To this end, an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm has been developed. This algorithm is based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and only requires a number of ship coefficients of form.
The methodology developed to obtain the predictive algorithm is presented as well as the database of ships used for training the ANN. The data were generated using a frequency domain seakeeping code based on the boundary element method (BEM). Also, the AI predictions are compared to the BEM results using both, ship hulls included and not included in the database.
As a result of this work it has been obtained an AI tool for seakeeping prediction of conventional monohull vessels
Highlights
● Application of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to predict seakeeping of monohulls in early ship design stages.
● High accuracy achieved by ANNs compared with traditional solvers.
● Methodology based on data augmentation, numerical computation, and ANN competition is applied.
● Fast computation method is developed achieving instant computation of seakeeping of monohulls.
● No need of hull shapes for computing seakeeping.
Having estimates of wave climate parameters and extreme values play important roles for a variety of different societal activities, such as coastal management, design of inshore and offshore structures, marine transport, coastal recreational activities, fisheries, etc. This study investigates the efficiency of a state-of-the-art spatial neutral gas clustering method in the classification of wind/wave data and the evaluation of extreme values of significant wave heights (Hs), mean wave direction (MWD) and mean wave periods (T0) for two 39-year time periods; from 1979 to 2017 for the present climate, and from 2060 to 2098, for a future climate change scenario in the Northwest Atlantic. These data were constructed by application of a numerical model, WAVEWATCHIIITM (hereafter, WW3), to simulate the wave climate for the study area for both present and future climates. Data from the model was extracted for the wave climate, in terms of the wave parameters, specifically Hs, MWD and T0, which were analyzed and compared for winter and summer seasons, for present and future climates. In order to estimate extreme values in the study area, a Natural Gas (hereafter, NG) clustering method was applied, separate clusters were identified, and corresponding centroid points were determined. To analyze data at each centroid point, time series of wave parameters were extracted, and using standard stochastic models, such as Gumbel, exponential and Weibull distribution functions, the extreme values for 50 and 100-year return periods were estimated. Thus, the impacts of climate change on wave regimes and extreme values can be specified.
Highlights
● Using GeoSOM clustering method, neural gas technique in clustering.
● Wave patterns for the present and future climates are somewhat similar.
● Determining areas with notable changes for the present and future climates.
● In the future, some areas are expected to experience notable reductions in sea ice.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) investigations into water entry problems of a rigid flat plate with air pockets were systematically conducted. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) model was utilised to capture localised slamming phenomena that occur during, and post-impact events. The model's geometry was modified to include a pocket on the slamming impact surface to investigate the effect of air entrapment on the magnitude and distribution of slamming forces and pressures. A parametric study was conducted on the geometric parameters of the modelled pocket by altering its area, depth, and volume to examine the response of slamming force and pressure loading under several impact velocities. The numerical results of slamming forces and pressures were in good agreement with experimental drop test measurements (with relative error of -6% and 7% for the magnitude of slamming force and pressure, respectively). The numerical results proved that the peak pressure is proportional to the magnitude of impact velocity squared (pmax∝v2).
Highlights
● Demonstration of CFD capability of replicating experimental drop tests of a flat plate.
● The concept of embedded pockets on flat plate enabled a quantitative assessment of the effect of air entrapment.
● Pocket depth significantly affected the magnitudes of slamming forces and pressures.
The present study aims to determine the appropriate size of mesh or the number of the element (NoE) for flat- and curved plates, which is suggested to assess its safety subjected to axial compression based on the ultimate limit state (ULS) design and analysis concept. The unstiffened panel (= plate) and stiffened panel, considered primary members of ships and ship-shaped offshore structures, are subjected to repeated axial compression and tension caused by continued vertical bending moments applied to the hull girder. Plates are attached with stiffeners by welding, and 6, 8 or 10 elements are generally recommended to allocate in flat-plate's breadth direction in between stiffeners for finite-element (FE) modelling, which enables the presentation of the shape of initial deflection applied to the plate. In the case of the load-shorting curve for curved plate, it is reported that the nonlinear behaviour characteristics, i.e., snap-through, snap-back, secondary buckling and others, appear in typical flank angle. To take this into account, we investigated the preferred number of elements (6, 8 or 10) generally applied to the flat plate whether it is an appropriate or more fine-sized element (or mesh) that should be considered. A useful guide is documented based on obtained outcomes which may help structural engineers select optimised mesh-size to predict ultimate strength and understand its characteristic of the flat and curved plates.
Highlights
● The general shape of the empirical formulation in predicting the ultimate strength of the plate is proposed.
● An empirical formulation in predicting ULS of initially deflected and simply supported edged plate under longitudinal compression is developed based on general shape by determining four coefficients.
● The results of ULS by NLFEM, semi-analytical method, and direct calculation method by empirical formulations are compared, and its accuracy has been verified.
Vessel-shaped fish cages are promising large aquaculture structures developed in recent years, with an overall length of nearly 400 m. In this paper, a coupled hydroelasticity model of a vessel-shaped fish cage is used to calculate the motion and structural response in the time domain. First, the floating body of the cage is discretized into a multimodule system to calculate the frequency-domain hydrodynamic loads. Then, the multimodule system is connected by equivalent elastic beams to consider the hydroelastic behavior in the time domain. The hydrodynamic loads of the multimodule system are transformed from the frequency-domain loads. Moreover, based on the velocity field transfer functions and the motion of the multimodule system, coupling wave fields considering incident, diffraction and radiation waves are built and used to calculate the loads on the net and steel frame. By iterating the motion response of the multimodule system and the hydrodynamic loads on the net and steel frame in the time domain, the balanced hydroelasticity response of the whole cage is finally obtained. The results show that the hydroelasticity effects have a significant influence on the vertical displacement and cross-sectional load effects of the vessel-shaped fish cage.
Highlights
● A novel time-domain method used in hydroelastic analysis of a vessel-shaped fish cage is proposed.
● The influence of the elasticity of the main structure on the motion response and cross-sectional load effect of the vessel-shaped fish cage is analyzed carefully.
● Hydroelastic analysis of the vessel-shaped fish cage is achieved considering the influence of the floating body to the wave field.
There are increasing focuses on developing cost-effective floating wind turbines, for which efficient stress analysis methods are needed for floater structural design. Most of the today's studies focus on global analysis methods in which the floater is assumed as a rigid body or multiple rigid bodies and the stress distributions in the floater cannot be directly obtained. As part of the COWI Fonden funded EMULF project, a summary about the methodology, the numerical modeling procedure and the verification for stress response analysis of a semi-submersible floater for a 15MW wind turbine is presented. This analysis procedure includes the regeneration of the hydrodynamic pressure loads on the external wet surface of the floater due to wave diffraction, radiation and hydrostatic pressure change, and the application of these pressure loads, together with the time-varying gravity due motions, the inertial loads and the forces/moments at the boundaries (i.e. tower bottom and mooring line fairleads) of the floater to obtain the deformation and the stresses of the floater in the time domain. The analysis procedure is implemented in a developed MATLAB code and the DNV software package. The importance of the different hydrodynamic pressure components was discussed considering representative sea states. A verification of the obtained stress time series and statistics using this method against the regeneration from a linear frequency-domain approach was made considering irregular wave actions only, and a very good agreement was obtained. The developed methodology can provide an efficient solution for structural design analysis of floating wind turbines.
Highlights
● A methodology for floater stress analysis based on the global coupled wind and wave induced load and response analysis results for a floating wind turbine is proposed.
● Regeneration of hydrodynamic pressure time series due to the global motions of the floating wind turbine and projection to a structural analysis model are made.
● Validation of the proposed procedure for time-domain stress analysis of the floater against the frequency-domain approach for wave-only cases show a very good agreement.
The production of renewable energy is key to satisfying the increasing demand for energy without further increasing pollution. Harnessing ocean energy from waves has attracted attention due to its high energy density. This study compares two generations of floating heaving point absorber WEC, WaveEL 3.0 and WaveEL 4.0, regarding their power performance and mooring line fatigue characteristics, which are essential in, e.g., LCoE calculations. The main differences between the two WECs are the principal dimensions and minor differences in their geometries. The DNV software SESAM was used for simulations and analyses of these WECs in terms of buoy heave motion resonances for maximising energy harvesting, motion characteristics, mooring line forces, fatigue of mooring lines, and hydrodynamic power production. The first part of the study presents results from simulations of unit WEC in the frequency domain and in the time domain for regular wave and irregular sea state conditions. A verification of the two WECs’ motion responses and axial mooring line forces is made against measurement data from a full-scale installation. In the second part of the study, the influence of interaction effects is investigated when the WECs are installed in wave parks. The wave park simulations used a fully-coupled non-linear method in SESAM that calculates the motions of the WECs and the mooring line forces simultaneously in the time domain. The amount of fatigue damage accumulated in the mooring lines was calculated using a relative tension-based fatigue analysis method and the rainflow counting method. Several factors that influence the power performance of the wave park and the accumulated fatigue damage of the mooring lines, for example, the WEC distance of the wave park, the sea state conditions, and the direction of incoming waves, are simulated and discussed. The study's main conclusion is that WaveEL 4.0, which has a longer tube than WaveEL 3.0, absorbs more hydrodynamic energy due to larger heave motions and more efficient power production. At the same time, the accumulated fatigue damage in the moorings is lower compared to WaveEL 3.0 if the distance between the WECs in the wave park is not too short. Its motions in the horizontal plane are larger, which may require a larger distance between the WEC units in a wave park to avoid losing efficiency due to hydrodynamic interaction effects.
Highlights
● Two heaving-point absorbers of similar type are compared to demonstrate how the hydrodynamic power performance is affected due to scale and geometry changes of the WEC's buoy.
● A verification of the WEC models is presented based on measurement data made on installed full-scale prototype WEC.
● Several factors that influence the power performance of the wave park and the accumulated fatigue damage of the mooring lines, for example, the WEC distance of the wave park, the sea state conditions, and the direction of incoming waves, are simulated and discussed.
● A sensitivity study of the WEC distance of wave parks shows how interaction effects between the WECs either empower or reduce hydrodynamic power production.
In this paper, an experimental investigation on the wave loads and structural motions of two semi-fixed semi-immersed horizontal cylinders type rafts in the free surface zone is conducted. The physical models are tested at the 1:4.5 scale and exposed to a range of regular and irregular waves in a wave flume at Queen's University Belfast. The physical models and experimental setup are discussed alongside an investigation of the hydrodynamic phenomena, surge forces, and dynamic responses that each structure exhibits in the coastal wave climates. Furthermore, an investigation into the wave attenuation by both models is carried out. The results show that the surge forces have a positive correlation with wave steepness for both models. Hydrodynamic phenomena such as wave runup and overtopping, radiative damping and reflected waves, constructive interference, diffraction and flow separation were identified during the experiments. A negative mean heave displacement is observed during the monochromatic sea states which could result in impact loading and submergence of the superstructure components and photovoltaic panels at full-scale. The results presented in this paper may be used to calibrate and verify numerical models that calculate the global responses and hydrodynamic forces. It may also benefit the design processes of geometrically similar floating solar technologies by providing data on surge loads, motion responses and hydrodynamic observations.
Highlights
● An experimental investigation of two scaled and simplified floating photovoltaic structures in a wave flume environment.
● The dynamic responses, surge forces, wave attenuation and hydrodynamic phenomena were recorded using various instruments.
● A negative mean heave displacement is observed during the monochromatic sea states which could result in impact loading.
