Proceedings of the Tenth (2000) International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference Seattle, USA, May 28-June 2, 2000

Copyright 2000 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers ISBN 1-880653-46-X (Set); ISBN 1-880653-47-8 (Vol. I); ISSN 1098-6189 (Set)

Hydroelastic Analysis of a Very Large Floating Structure in Waves

H. Shin, H.Y. Lee and Y.S. Yang
University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Korea

H.S. Shin and l.K. Park

Hyundai Heavy Industry, Ulsan, Korea

ABSTRACT
In this paper, hydroelastic responses of the very large floating structure are studied based on linear potential theory. A theoretical method is developed to analyze the hydroelastic responses of very large floating structure(VLFS) using pressure distribution method and modal expansions of structural motion. The singularities are distributed over the structure of a zero draft plate on the free surface and hydrodynamic pressures are evaluated. The integral equation is formulated by the Green function in case of finite water depth. The deflections of structure are approximated by an modal expansion in terms of natural mode functions of free-free beam. The effects of water depth, bending rigidity, relative length of regular waves, and directions of waves on the response of hydrodynamic pressure and deformation of structure are examined. The calculated items are pressure distributions, vertical motions and bending moments over a mat. The calculated results for thin plate of a pontoon type are compared with the experimental ones.
KEY WORDS: Hydroelastic Responses, Very Large Floating Structure, Pressure Distribution Method, Modal Expansion Method, Green Function, Hydrodynamic Pressure, Bending Moment.

et al., 1997; Ohmatsu, 1998 ). Also the modal expansion method and finite element method were used to calculate the elastic response. In this paper, linear potential theory is adapted to calculate wave effects on VLFS. The solution is obtained by a superposition of the radiation and diffraction problems. To predict radiation and diffraction potentials, we adapted the pressure distribution method, which is represented by the convolution form of pressure and Green function in finite depth. The deflection of VLFS is approximated by an expansion in terms of the natural mode functions for free vibration of a free-free beam. The present method is verified by comparisons with experimental data and other theoretical methods developed by authors. We apply this method to Phase I Structure 300mx60m2m of Megafloat project, Japan and investigate vertical motions, pressure distribution and bending moments affected by water depth.

2.MATHEMATICAL FORMULATION
The Cartisian coordinates are defined in Fig. 1, with z=0 as the plane of undisturbed free surface and z=-h as the horizontal sea botttom.

1.1NTRODUCTION
Structures of box-type are surrounded by breakwaters to minimize motions by waves. The typical configuration of the pontoon type is characterized by large horizontal dimensions compared with the draft and incident wave. To analyze dynamic responses of a VLFS, the deflections due to elastic motion must be considered. A number of studies have been made for predicting behaviors of motion of VLFS(Yago & Endo, 1996; Kashiwagi & Furukawa, 1997; Shin et al., 1999 ). In these studies, the pressure distribution and the source and dipole distribution method were used for calculating hydrodynamic forces. The other method to reduce computing time was proposed based on the velocity potential continuation method for diffraction and radiation problem(Nagata
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B VLFS x~

Fig.1 Definition sketch of the problem