Fully nonlinear 3D interaction of bubble dynamics and a submerged or floating structure

•The influence of a free surface on the fixed and rigid body is mainly investigated.•The free surface causes a reduction in peak pressure and bubble period.•Structural flexibility produces a large pressure decrease relative to fixed body.

This paper is concerned with the interaction of bubbles, a submerged or floating structure, and free surface waves. A three-dimensional fully nonlinear model has been developed based on the coupling of the boundary integral method (BIM) for bubble dynamics and free surface waves and the finite element method for structure deformation. The present method is well validated by comparing the numerical results with the experimental data. Three structure characteristics, including fixed, rigidly moving and flexible, are investigated separately to determine their influence on bubble dynamics. For a free-floating structure, the free surface causes not only a larger reduction in peak pressure for a rigid structure compared with a fixed body but also the modification of the bubble period and structural response. The interaction between a bubble and a flexible structure, in the absence of a free surface, is simulated. Both the rigid motion and the deformation at the local structure appear in the simulation. The effect of the structural thickness on the reduction in peak pressure is also considered.