Experimental investigation of the hydrodynamic characteristics of heave plates using forced oscillation

•The hydrodynamic coefficients of heave plates were investigated using forced oscillation model tests.•The effects of different variables on the hydrodynamic coefficients were analyzed.•Experiments using a group of three solid or perforated heave plates were also carried out.•The relationship between the spacing of the heave plates and hydrodynamic coefficients was studied.

The heave plate is the key component of a Spar platform as it can effectively improve the heave response of the platform system by providing additional damping and added mass. This paper investigates the hydrodynamic coefficients of heave plates by using forced oscillation model tests. The effects of variables such as the Keulegan–Carpenter (KC) number, frequency of oscillation, plate depth, thickness-to-width ratio, shape of the edge, perforation ratio and hole size on the hydrodynamic coefficients were analyzed. Experiments using a group of three solid or perforated heave plates were also carried out and the experimental results were compared with those for a single plate. The relationship between the spacing of the heave plates and hydrodynamic coefficients was studied.