Two-Dimensional Hydroelastic Analysis of Very Large Floating Structures
We have reached a stage at which we are capable of building very large floating structures to meet the steadily increasing needs of ocean resource utilization or to fulfill some special industrial or civil purpose. When such a structure is large enough, its behavior in waves may be substantially different from that of ordinary offshore structures due to low resonant frequencies of the deformable body, and its analysis may require different techniques. In this paper, a two-dimensional hydroelastic theory is applied to a very large floating structure that may be multimodule and extend in the longitudinal direction. A revised strip theory is employed to analyze the hydrodynamic coefficients, but some modifications are introduced to allow for multibody cross sections. The structure is considered to be a flexible beam responding to waves in the vertical direction. Numerical examples are presented with reference to an integrated system of semisubmersibles. A simple model for engineering estimation is also presented.