An Analytical Approach for the Calculation of Random Wave Forces on Submerged Tunnels

Abstract

This paper deals with the random forces produced by high ocean waves on submerged horizontal circular cylinders. Arena [1] obtained the analytical solution of the random wave field for two dimensional waves by extending the classical Ogilvie solution [2,3] to the case of random waves. In this paper, the wave force acting on the cylinder is investigated and the Froude Krylov force [4], on the ideal water cylinder, is calculated from the random incident wave field. Both forces represent a Gaussian random process of time. The diffraction coefficient of the wave force is obtained as quotient between the standard deviations of the force on the solid cylinder and of the Froude Krylov force. It is found that the diffraction coefficient of the horizontal force Cdo is equal to the Cdv of the vertical force. Finally, it is shown that, given that a very large wave force occurs on the cylinder, it may be calculated, in time domain, starting from the Froude Krylov force. It is then shown that this result is due to the fact that the frequency spectrum of the force acting on the cylinder is nearly identical to that of the Froude-Krylov force.