A.N. Williams

Floating pontoon breakwaters

The hydrodynamic properties of a pair of long floating pontoon breakwaters of rectangular section are investigated theoretically. The structures are partially restrained by linear symmetric moorings fore and aft. The fluid motion is idealized as linearized, two-dimensional potential flow. The breakwater motions are assumed to be two-dimensional, in surge, heave and pitch. The solution for the fluid motion is obtained by the boundary integral equation method using an appropriate Greens function. Numerical results are presented that illustrate the effects of the various wave and structural parameters on the efficiency of the breakwaters as barriers to wave action. It is found that the wave reflection properties of the structures depend strongly on their width, draft and spacing and the mooring line stiffnesses, while their excess buoyancy is of lesser importance.

Dual pontoon floating breakwater

The hydrodynamic properties of a dual pontoon floating breakwater consisting of a pair of floating cylinders of rectangular section, connected by a rigid deck, is investigated theoretically. The structure is partially restrained by linear symmetric moorings fore and aft. The fluid motion is idealized as linearized, two-dimensional potential flow and the equation of motion of the breakwater is taken to be that of a two-dimensional rigid body undergoing surge, heave and pitch motions. The solution for the fluid motion is obtained by the boundary integral equation method using an appropriate Greens function. Numerical results are presented which illustrate the effects of the various wave and structural parameters on the efficiency of the breakwater as a barrier to wave action. It is found that the wave reflection properties of the structure depend strongly on the width, draft and spacing of the pontoons and the mooring line stiffness, while the excess buoyancy of the system is of lesser importance.

Water wave interaction with an array of bottom-mounted surface-piercing porous cylinders

The interaction of water waves with arrays of bottom-mounted, surface-piercing circular cylinders is investigated theoretically. The sidewall of each cylinder is porous and thin. Under the assumptions of potential flow and linear wave theory, a semi-analytical solution is obtained by an eigenfunction expansion approach first proposed for impermeable cylinders by Spring and Monkmeyer (1974), and later simplified by Linton and Evans (1990). Analytical expressions are developed for the wave motion in the exterior and all interior fluid regions. Numerical results are presented which illustrate the effects of various wave and structural parameters on the hydrodynamic loads and the diffracted wave field. It is found that the porosity of the structures may result in a significant reduction in both the hydrodynamic loads experienced by the cylinders and the associated wave runup.

Wave interaction with a semi-porous cylindrical breakwater mounted on a storage tank

The interaction of linear water waves with a semi-porous cylindrical breakwater surrounding a rigid vertical circular cylinder mounted on a storage tank is investigated theoretically. The cylindrical breakwater structure is porous in the vicinity of the free-surface, while at some distance below the water surface it becomes impermeable. Under the assumptions of linearized potential flow, the coupled problem of flow in the interior and exterior fluid regions is solved by an eigenfunction expansion approach. Analytical expressions are obtained for the wave motion in both the interior and exterior flow regions. Numerical results are presented which illustrate the effects of the various wave and structural parameters on the hydrodynamic loads and interior and exterior wave fields. It is found that for certain parameter combinations the semi-porous, cylindrical breakwater may result in a significant reduction in the wave field and hydrodynamic forces experienced by the interior structure.

Water wave interaction with a floating porous cylinder

Abstract The interaction of water waves with a freely floating circular cylinder possessing a side-wall that is porous over a portion of its draft is investigated theoretically. The porous side-wall region is bounded top and bottom by impermeable end caps thereby resulting in an enclosed fluid region within the structure. The problem is formulated based on potential flow and linear wave theory and assuming small-amplitude structural oscillations. An eigenfunction expansion approach is then used to obtain semi-analytical expressions for the hydrodynamic excitation and reaction loads on the structure. Numerical results are presented which illustrate the effects of the various wave and structural parameters on these quantities. It is found that the permeability, size and location of the porous region may have a significant influence on the horizontal components of the hydrodynamic excitation and reaction loads, while its influence on the vertical components in most cases is relatively minor.

HYDRODYNAMIC INTERACTIONS IN FLOATING CYLINDER ARRAYS: II - WAVE RADIATION

Abstract An approximate method is utilized to investigate the hydrodynamic interactions between the members of an array of floating circular cylinders which occur when one member undergoes prescribed forced oscillations. The method of solution for the fluid velocity potential involves replacing the radiated/scattered waves emanating from one cylinder in the vicinity of another cylinder by equivalent plane waves together with non-planar correction terms and is essentially a large-spacing approximation. It is possible through this approach to determine the hydrodynamic interactions between the various array members given only the radiation and scattering characteristics of an isolated cylinder. Numerical results are presented for example array configurations consisting of 2–6 cylinders, calculations of the added-mass and added (radiation) damping coefficients have been performed for a range of wave and structural parameters. It is found that for certain parameter combinations the influence of neighboring bodies on the total wave field leads to values of the above quantities on individual array members which differ significantly from those for an isolated cylinder. The present analysis is relevant to the design of multibody wave energy extraction systems and floating offshore platforms.

Wave motion over a breakwater system of a horizontal plate and a vertical porous wall

A two-dimensional analytical solution is presented to study the reflection and transmission of linear water waves propagating past a submerged horizontal plate and through a vertical porous wall. The velocity potential in each fluid domain is formulated using three sets of orthogonal eigenfunctions and the unknown coefficients are determined from the matching conditions. Wave elevations and hydrodynamic forces acting on the porous wall are computed. Reflection and transmission coefficients are presented to examine the performance of the breakwater system. The present analytical solutions are found in fairly good agreement with the available laboratory data. The results indicate that the plate length, the porous-effect, the gap between plate and porous wall, and the submerged depth of the plate all show a significant influence on the reflected and transmitted wave fields. It is also interesting to note that the submerged plate plays an important role in reducing the transmitted wave height, especially for long incident waves.

Oblique wave diffraction by segmented offshore breakwaters

This paper presents a theoretical model to examine oblique wave diffraction by a detached breakwater system consisting of an infinite row of regularly-spaced thin, impermeable structures located in water of uniform depth. The fluid is assumed incompressible and inviscid and to undergo irrotational motion. Wave heights are assumed to be sufficiently small such that linear wave theory is applicable. The eigenfunction expansion solution of Dalrymple and Martin (1990) for normal wave incidence on this breakwater geometry is modified herein to study oblique wave effects. Numerical results, in the form of contour maps of the relative wave height behind the structure, or complex reflection coefficients, are presented for a range of wave and breakwater parameters. The accuracy of the present model is verified by a comparison with existing results for the limiting cases of an isolated detached breakwater, and a breakwater with a single gap. Also, for the multi-gap breakwater, the present solution is further verified for both normal and oblique wave incidence with results in the open literature.

Hydrodynamic interactions in floating cylinder arrays. I: Wave scattering

Abstract The hydrodynamic interactions due to wave scattering between the numbers of an array of stationary, truncated circular cylinders simulating the columns of an idealized tension-leg platform (TLP) are investigated. The method of solution for the fluid velocity potential involves replacing scattered waves by equivalent plane waves together with non-planar correction terms. This technique is, therefore, essentially a large spacing approximation. Use of this approach makes it possible to determine the hydrodynamic interactions between the array members utilizing only the diffraction characteristics of an isolated cylinder. Numerical results are presented for six array configurations consisting of 2–6 cylinders representing the legs of idealized TLPs. Calculations of the wave loads on these cylinders have been performed for a range of wave and structural parameters. It is found that, for certain parameter combinations, the influence of neighbouring bodies on the total wave field leads to hydrodynamic loading on individual columns which is significantly greater than the loading they would experience in isolation. The presented results demonstrate the significance of hydrodynamic interactions between TLP columns and clearly indicate that these effects should be considered by the designers and researchers associated with TLPs.

Approximate hydrodynamic analysis of multi-column ocean structures

An approximate, semi-analytical technique is developed to calculate the wave-induced loads and added-mass and radiation damping coefficients for idealized ocean structures consisting of arrays of large-diameter, truncated, vertical circular cylinders. The approach involves replacing the complete wave field scattered/radiated by one cylinder in the vicinity of another cylinder by a plane wave together with a non-planar correction term and so is essentially a large-spacing approximation. Numerical results are presented which illustrate the accuracy of the approximate approach and provide estimates of the hydrodynamic characteristics of several practical array configurations.