Frequency-domain analysis of non-linear wave effects on offshore platform responses

In this study, the effects of second-order non-linear random waves on the structural response of slender fixed offshore platforms are investigated based on frequency-domain Volterra-series approach and previously proposed correlation function/FFT-based cumulant spectral method. The cumulants of non-Gaussian water particle kinematics are derived and, Morison force is approximated in cubic functional transformations of Gaussian processes. Volterra series is applied to evaluate the power spectra of wave force and induced structural displacement. The more convenient and more efficient power spectral and tri-spectral analyses by cumulant spectral method are presented as well. The thereby estimated variance, skewness and kurtosis excess agree well with time-domain simulation results. It is found that non-linear wave effects result in stronger non-Gaussian behavior of wave force and structural response, especially in seas of finite water depth.