Rigid Dock Research Articles

Attenuation of wave force on a floating dock by multiple porous breakwaters

The impact of an array of porous breakwaters for reducing wave forces on a floating dock is studied based on the small-amplitude water wave theory in finite water depth. The breakwater is approximated by a porous bottom-standing rectangular structure and an impermeable floating rectangular structure is placed at a finite distance on the lee-side representing a dock. The physical problem is solved analytically using Eigenfunction expansion method and numerically using a hybrid element multi domain boundary element method. Two scenarios are considered: (i) wave scattering by N porous structures and the floating dock and (ii) wave reflection by a dock attached to the impermeable wall in presence of N porous structures. The reflection, transmission and dissipation coefficients are evaluated and analyzed for various structural and wave parameters. The study reveals that the Bragg reflection occurs in the case of wave scattering by an array of porous structures in the absence of floating dock. It is also found that in the absence of dock N−2 sub-harmonic peaks occurs whereas, in the presence of dock the effect of Bragg resonance is clearly evident on hydrodynamic coefficients. Also, the study concludes that for four structures with larger height, 100% of wave energy can be dissipated and thus mitigate the wave force on the floating rigid dock. Furthermore, the height and width of the porous structure and spacing between the structures play a vital role to protect the floating platform.

An upright bottomless vertical cylinder with baffles floating in waves

Damping of the surge and pitch motions, as well as the first lateral sloshing mode in a rigid free-floating upright circular dock with bilge boxes and open bottom is investigated. Model tests are carried out on a 0.80 m diameter model in regular waves with wave periods near the highest natural sloshing period, and the internal free-surface elevation and model’s rigid body motions are measured. Perforated and solid annular baffles of relatively small widths are also installed inside the dock at various submergences. The experimental results are compared to a semi-analytical approach, where a three-dimensional domain decomposition method based on linear potential flow theory is adopted to calculate the hydrodynamic coefficients and exciting forces in heave, surge and pitch. A reduced natural sloshing frequency, as well as a damping ratio estimated from the energy dissipated due to flow separation from the baffles, are introduced in the free-surface boundary conditions to model the effects of the baffle. It shows good agreement with experimental data when the ratio between the draft of the baffle and the internal radius of the cylinder is dB/a=0.27, and tends to under-predict the damping ratio for shallower drafts, most likely due to free-surface interactions. The solid baffle damps the sloshing response most efficiently, reducing the amplitude at the resonant peak by more than 56%.

Reduction of wave impact on seashore as well as seawall by floating structure and bottom topography

The three-dimensional problem involving diffraction of water wave by a finite floating rigid dock over an arbitrary bottom is studied for two cases (i) in the absence of wall (ii) in the presence of wall. The problem is handled for its solution with the aid of step method. Here both asymmetric and symmetric arbitrary bottom profile is approximated using successive steps. Step approximation helps to apply the matched eigenfunction expansion method, in result, system of algebraic equations are obtained which are solved to determine the hydrodynamic quantities, namely, force experienced by rigid floating dock as well as rigid seawall, free surface elevation, transmission & reflection coefficients associated with transmission & reflected waves respectively. The effects of various structural and system parameters are examined on these hydrodynamics quantities. The appropriate values of length and thickness of dock, water depth and angle of incidence provide the salient information to marine and coastal engineers to design the offshore structures and creation of parabolic trench on the bottom. The present results are compared with known results for special case of bottom topography. The energy balance relation is derived and checked.

Oblique wave scattering by a semi-infinite rigid dock in the presence of bottom undulations

The problem of oblique wave scattering by a semi-infinite rigid dock in the presence of varying bottom topography is investigated here using linear water wave theory. Employing a simplified perturbation analysis together with appropriate use of Green’s integral theorem, the reflection coefficient up to first order is obtained in terms of an integral involving the shape function representing the bottom topography. The zero-order reflection coefficient is obtained by using the residue calculus method of complex variable. The bottom undulations are described by sinusoidal and an exponentially decaying profile. The first order correction to the reflection coefficient is depicted graphically in a number of figures for the two shape functions characterizing the bottom undulations and appropriate conclusions are drawn.

The Wiener–Hopf and residue calculus solutions for a submerged semi-infinite elastic plate

We present a solution for the interaction of normally incident linear waves with a submerged elastic plate of semi-infinite extent, where the water has finite depth. While the problem has been solved previously by the eigenfunction-matching method, the present study shows that this problem is also amenable to the more analytical, and extremely efficient, Wiener–Hopf (WH) and residue calculus (RC) methods. We also show that the WH and RC solutions are actually equivalent for problems of this type, a result which applies to many other problems in linear wave theory. (e.g., the much-studied floating elastic plate scattering problem, or acoustic wave propagation in a duct where one wall has an abrupt change in properties.) We present numerical results and a detailed convergence study, and discuss as well the scattering by a submerged rigid dock, particularly the radiation condition beneath the dock.

The linear-wave response of a periodic array of floating elastic plates

The problem of an infinite periodic array of identical floating elastic plates subject to forcing from plane incident waves is considered. This study is motivated by the problem of trying to model wave propagation in the marginal ice zone, a region of ocean consisting of an arbitrary packing of floating ice sheets. It is shown that the problem considered can be formulated exactly in terms of the solution to an integral equation in a manner similar to that used for the problem of wave scattering by a single elastic floating plate, the key difference here being the use of a modified periodic Green function. The convergence of this Green function in its original form is poor, but can be accelerated by a transformation. It is shown that the results from the method satisfy energy conservation and that in the particular case of a fixed rigid rectangular plate which spans the periodicity uniformly the solution reduces to that for a two-dimensional rigid dock. Solutions for a range of elastic-plate geometries are also presented.

The Steklov Problem in a Half-Plane: the Dependence of Eigenvalues on a Piecewise-Constant Coefficient

The Steklov problem considered in the paper describes free two-dimensional oscillations of an ideal, incompressible, heavy fluid in a half-plane covered by a rigid dock with two symmetric gaps. Equivalent reduction of the problem to two spectral problems for integral operators allows us to find limits for all eigenfrequencies as the distance between the gaps tends to zero or infinity. For the fundamental eigenfrequency and the corresponding eigenfunction, two terms are found in the asymptotic expansion as the distance tends to infinity. It is proved that all eigenvalues are simple for any distance. Bibliography: 15 titles.

The ice‐fishing problem: the fundamental sloshing frequency versus geometry of holes

AbstractWe study an eignevalue problem with a spectral parameter in a boundary condition. This problem for the Laplace equation is relevant to sloshing frequencies that describe free oscillations of an inviscid, incompressible, heavy fluid in a half‐space covered by a rigid dock with some apertures (an ice sheet with fishing holes). The dependence of the fundamental eigenvalue on holes' geometry is investigated. We give conditions on a plane region guaranteeing that the fundamental eigenvalue corresponding to this region is larger than the fundamental eigenvalue corresponding to a single circular hole. Examples of regions satisfying these conditions and having the same area as the unit disk are given. New results are also obtained for the problem with a single circular hole.On the other hand, we construct regions for which the fundamental eigenfrequency is larger than the similar frequency for the circular hole of the same area and even as large as one wishes. In the latter examples, the hole regions are either not connected or bounded by a rather complicated curves. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Interaction of free-surface waves with a floating dock

A new method to describe the interaction of waves with a rigid or flexible dock, with zero draft, is derived. By means of Green's theorem an integral equation along the platform for either the velocity potential or the deflection is obtained. In the two-dimensional case this equation is solved by means of a superposition of exponential functions. With a specific choice of the Green function the integration with respect to the space coordinate can be carried out analytically. The integration left is the integration in the k-plane that occurs in the chosen Green function. Subsequently the contour of this integral is modified in the complex plane. This results at first in a dispersion relation for the phase functions in the expansion. Then the set of algebraic equations for the amplitude coefficients follows from the same singularity analysis in the complex plane. These equations are very simple and easy to solve. In contrast to the classical approach of eigen-mode expansions, there is no need to split the problem in a symmetric and antisymmetric one. An other advantage is that the transmission and reflection coefficients are determined seperately by means of Green's theorem, applied at the free surface in the far field. The method is first explained for the semi-infinite rigid dock, followed by the rigid strip, the moving strip and the flexible moving platform. In the appendix it is explained how to derive a set of algebraic equations in the case when the incident wave is not perpendicular to the strip.

On the fundamental sloshing frequency in the ice-fishing problem

The sloshing problem is considered in a half-space covered by a rigid dock with apertures. The dependence of the fundamental sloshing frequency on the shape of the free surface region is studied. It is proved that the inequality holds between the fundamental eigenvalues corresponding to two different regions if some conditions are fulfilled. These conditions are verified for particular classes of regions of a fixed area in order to demonstrate that the disk yields the maximum of the fundamental eigenvalue for each of these classes. On the other hand, examples of regions are constructed for which the fundamental eigenfrequency is larger than that for the circular aperture of the same area and even as large as one wishes. To cite this article: V. Kozlov, N. Kuznetsov, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 723–728.

Sloshing problem in a half-plane covered by a dock with two gaps: monotonicity and asymptotics of eigenvalues

The two-dimensional sloshing problem is considered in a half-plane covered by a rigid dock with two symmetric gaps. It is proved that the antisymmetric (symmetric) sloshing eigenvalues are monotonically decreasing (increasing) functions of spacing between gaps and formulae for their derivatives are obtained.