The radiation problem of multiple structures with small gaps in between*

Influence of gaps on hydrodynamic interactions of multiple floating structures is considered in the present investigation. Strong and complicate hydrodynamic interactions between the floating bodies are observed and the numerical computations have showed the existence of the sharp peak force response on each floating body at some special resonant wave numbers, which are also proved to be around kL=nπ (n=1, 2, …, ∞) with a corresponding frequency shift. Width and depth of a gap also give influences on the resonant frequency and resonant amplitude of added mass and damping forces due to the radiation motions of the multiple bodies. The strong hydrodynamic interaction feature may have a big influence on the integrated loads of multiple floating structures system.