Numerical study of rogue wave overtopping with a fully-coupled fluid-structure interaction model

Abstract

For decades, researchers have been devoting efforts to revealing the physical mechanisms of rogue waves. However, research works on the interaction between rogue waves and marine structures, especially those which take into account hydroelastic effects are still not adequate (due to the fact that the wave-breaking, overturning and slamming phenomena are complex especially when hydroelasticity is considered as well as the nonlinearity of rogue waves). In this paper, the nonlinear rogue-wave overtopping phenomenon is simulated in a numerical wave tank. The simulation results are compared against the theoretical solution predicted by the dam-breaking model. Hydroelastic effects are considered by applying a fully-coupled fluid-structure interaction model. The vibration of the elastic deck is analyzed and compared against the one obtained without considering hydroelasticity. Green water events, caused by a rogue wave and a regular wave respectively, are compared to reveal the special features of rogue-wave-induced overtopping. It is found that hydroelastic effects lead to the local vibration of the deck, lower vibration frequencies through introducing the added mass effect, and make the deck deformation larger at certain moments. It is also found that green water induced by rogue waves shows asymmetry and unregularity in comparison with that induced by regular waves.