Modelling of multi-bodies in close proximity under water waves—Fluid forces on floating bodies

This work presents two-dimensional numerical results of the dependence of wave forces of multiple floating bodies in close proximity on the incident wave frequency, gap width, body draft, body breadth and body number based on both viscous fluid and potential flow models. The numerical models were validated by the available experimental data of fluid oscillation in narrow gaps. Numerical investigations show that the large amplitude responses of horizontal and vertical wave forces appear around the fluid resonant frequencies. The convectional potential flow model is observed to un-physically overestimate the magnitudes of wave forces as the fluid resonance takes place. By introducing artificial damping term with appropriate damping coefficients μ∈[0.4, 0.5], the potential flow model may work as well as the viscous fluid model, which agree with the damping coefficients used in our previous work for the predication of wave height under gap resonance. In addition, the numerical results of viscous fluid model suggest that the horizontal wave force is highly dependent on the water level difference between the opposite sides of an individual body and the overall horizontal wave force on the floating system is generally smaller than the summation of wave force on each body.

► A calibrated damping coefficient μ∈[0.4, 0.5] is introduced into the potential flow model.
► This leads to substantial improvement on the prediction of wave forces under gap resonance.
► The dependence of wave forces on gap width, draft, breadth-ratio and body number are obtained.
► We demonstrated also the mechanism of wave forces at gap resonance by CFD simulations.