Computational Modeling of Planing Hull Dynamics and Slamming in Head Waves

Fast boats often operate in planing regimes when they skim on the water surface and their weight is supported primarily by hydrodynamic forces. In the presence of waves, such hulls may experience large nonlinear motions and hydrodynamic loads, which limit their operational capabilities. To predict hull motions and loads and to optimize the hull shape and structure, one can take advantage of computational fluid dynamics tools that simulate these complex nonlinear flow processes and provide detailed hydrodynamic data, including pressure distribution on the hull and water spray. However, validation of these modeling approaches is needed in order to confidently use numerical tools for the boat design. In this study, numerical modeling is accomplished for dynamics of a realistic hull previously tested in controlled wave environments in towing tanks. Time-domain simulations were first carried out in regular head waves. Mesh-verification studies suggested appropriate numerical grid resolution. The hull’s heave motions, drag forces and bow accelerations were captured and compared with experimental data. The formal validation procedure was applied to confirm suitability of the current numerical approach. In the investigated regular-wave conditions, very pronounced slamming phenomenon was observed, when the hull re-entered water and experienced peak hydrodynamic loads. Pressure distributions on the hull surface and water surface deformations are presented for several time instances around the slamming event. In addition, numerical simulations were also conducted for random waves with statistical sea-wave parameters resembling those of the studied regular waves. The statistical boat responses, such as bow accelerations, heaving motions and drag forces, are compared to the corresponding metrics obtained in regular waves.

Efficient Calculation of Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Hydrodynamic Loads on Offshore Wind Substructures

Estimation of the hydrodynamic loads based on strip theory with the Morrison equation provides a fast and inexpensive method for load estimation for the offshore industry. The advantage of this approach is that it requires only the undisturbed wave kinematics along with inertia and viscous force coefficients. Over the recent years, the development in numerical wave tank simulations makes it possible to simulate nonlinear three-hour sea states, with computational times in the order of real time. This provides an opportunity to calculate loads using wave spectrum input in numerical simulations at reasonable computational time and effort. In the current paper, the open-source fully nonlinear potential flow model REEF3D::FNPF is employed for the wave propagation calculations. Here, the Laplace equation for the velocity potential is solved on a sigma-coordinate mesh with the nonlinear free surface boundary conditions to close the system. A technique to calculate the total acceleration on the sigma-coordinate grid is introduced which makes it possible to apply strip theory in a moving grid framework. With the combination of strip theory and three-hour wave simulations, a unique possibility to estimate the hydrodynamic loads in real time for all discrete positions in space within the domain of the numerical wave tank is presented in this paper. The numerical results for inline forces on an offshore wind mono-pile substructure are compared with measurements, and the new approach shows good agreement.

Sea stars generate downforce to stay attached to surfaces

Intertidal sea stars often function in environments with extreme hydrodynamic loads that can compromise their ability to remain attached to surfaces. While behavioral responses such as burrowing into sand or sheltering in rock crevices can help minimize hydrodynamic loads, previous work shows that sea stars also alter body shape in response to flow conditions. This morphological plasticity suggests that sea star body shape may play an important hydrodynamic role. In this study, we measured the fluid forces acting on surface-mounted sea star and spherical dome models in water channel tests. All sea star models created downforce, i.e., the fluid pushed the body towards the surface. In contrast, the spherical dome generated lift. We also used Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to measure the midplane flow field around the models. Control volume analyses based on the PIV data show that downforce arises because the sea star bodies serve as ramps that divert fluid away from the surface. These observations are further rationalized using force predictions and flow visualizations from numerical simulations. The discovery of downforce generation could explain why sea stars are shaped as they are: the pentaradial geometry aids attachment to surfaces in the presence of high hydrodynamic loads.

Hydrodynamic Loads on Net Panels With Different Solidities

Drag forces on nets represent the largest contribution to hydrodynamic loads on traditional fish farms and will have a large impact on total loads on new designs utilizing netting as containment method. Precise methods for estimation of drag loads are needed. This article gives new knowledge on hydrodynamic forces acting on aquaculture nets. It presents results from towing tests, including updated drag and lift coefficients for Raschel-knitted netting materials used in nets for aquaculture, and quantify wake effect. The results include high solidity nets and high towing velocities. It was found that drag loads were close to proportional with the netting solidity for netting solidities ranging from 0.15 to 0.32. The wake effect is quantified through the average velocity reduction factor, which is given as a linear function of solidity. Much of the previously published data are close to the data found through these tests. However, for high solidity nets, the deviation is significant. Therefore, previously published data and models may overestimate drag loads for high solidity nets.