Experimental Investigation of the Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Longline Aquaculture Facilities under Current and Wave Conditions

Abstract

In this study, a longline aquaculture facility with lantern nets off the coast of northern China was modelled to conduct hydrodynamic tests starting from the culture unit to the entire facility under various current and wave conditions. The experimental results indicated that the drag coefficients of the lantern net model with weights of 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 kg were 0.75, 0.83, and 0.91, respectively, in the Reynolds number range of 1 × 104–1 × 106. The current-driven upstream mooring line was more dominant than the wave-driven tension, and a simplified model of the longline facility accurately predicted the mooring line tension under the current conditions. The scope of the mooring line (defined as the length of the mooring line related to the water depth) played an important role in eliminating an order of magnitude difference in mooring tension under the wave conditions. The amplitudes of the vertical movement of the longline facility were smaller than the wave height when L/Lm was less than 1.5. Therefore, detailed information is needed to better understand the hydrodynamic characteristics and motion response of longline aquaculture facilities for the safe operation of longline structures in offshore environments, in order to process high-quality oyster products.