Hydroelastic Response of Submersible Open Net Fish Pens Under Wave Action

Abstract

Abstract Submersible fish pens are a cost-effective solution for storm proofing fish pens at offshore sites against strong surface waves and winds. This paper examines the hydroelastic responses of submersible open net fish pens and the mooring forces under wave action for various submergence depths. For the hydroelastic analysis, a single cylindrical open net fish pen and mooring system were considered. A regular wave reflecting the worst wave condition observed in an exposed farm site in Tasmania’s Storm Bay, Australia was used for the analysis. A numerical software package AquaSim was adopted for the hydroelastic analysis of the fish pen and mooring system. The analysis results show that the vertical displacement of submerged pen and mooring force are reduced significantly when compared to the corresponding results of the fish pen floating on the water surface. It is shown herein that after a particular submerged depth, the hydroelastic results do not decrease significantly with deeper depths. A future study will investigate the relationship between the optimal submerged depth, fish pen dimensions and wave conditions with the view to save ballasting costs and time to re-float the fish pens.