Wave-induced response of a floating two-dimensional body with a moonpool

Abstract

Regular wave-induced behaviour of a floating stationary two-dimensional body with a moonpool is studied. The focus is on resonant piston-mode motion in the moonpool and rigid-body motions. Dedicated two-dimensional experiments have been performed. Two numerical hybrid methods, which have previously been applied to related problems, are further developed. Both numerical methods couple potential and viscous flow. The semi-nonlinear hybrid method uses linear free-surface and body-boundary conditions. The other one uses fully nonlinear free-surface and body-boundary conditions. The harmonic polynomial cell method solves the Laplace equation in the potential flow domain, while the finite volume method solves the Navier–Stokes equations in the viscous flow domain near the body. Results from the two codes are compared with the experimental data. The nonlinear hybrid method compares well with the data, while certain discrepancies are observed for the semi-nonlinear method. In particular, the roll motion is over-predicted by the semi-nonlinear hybrid method. Error sources in the semi-nonlinear hybrid method are discussed. The moonpool strongly affects heave motions in a frequency range around the piston-mode resonance frequency of the moonpool. No resonant water motions occur in the moonpool at the piston-mode resonance frequency. Instead large moonpool motions occur at a heave natural frequency associated with small damping near the piston-mode resonance frequency.