A Two-Dimensional Potential Flow Model of the Wave Field Generated by a Semisubmerged Body in Heaving Motion

Abstract

A two-dimensional potential flow model is formulated to predict the wave field and forces generated by a sere!submerged body in forced heaving motion. The potential flow problem is solved on a boundary fitted coordinate system that deforms in response to the motion of the free surface and the heaving body. The full nonlinear kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions are used at the free surface. The governing equations and associated boundary conditions are solved by a second-order finite-difference technique based on the modified Euler method for the time domain and a successive overrelaxation (SOR) procedure for the spatial domain. A series of sensitivity studies of grid size and resolution, time step, free surface and body grid redistribution schemes, convergence criteria, and free surface body boundary condition specification was performed to investigate the computational characteristics of the model. The model was applied to predict the forces generated by the forced oscillation of a U-shaped cylinder. Numerical model predictions are generally in good agreement with the available second-order theories for the first-order pressure and force coefficients, but clearly show that the third-order terms are larger than the second-order terms when nonlinearity becomes important in the dimensionless frequency range 1≤ Fr≤ 2. The model results are in good agreement with the available experimental data and confirm the importance of the third order terms.