Heave Plate Design With Computational Fluid Dynamics

Abstract

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods are used to predict the hydrodynamic loads on heave plates. A series of numerical simulations for plates undergoing simple harmonic motion is used to determine the force and moment resultant histories. Then a least mean squares method is used to obtain the appropriate Morison coefficients for the plates under a variety of sea conditions. Finally, force and moment histories are predicted for a plate on a floating platform excited by a random sea motion.