Numerical simulation of wave interaction with a pair of fixed large tandem cylinders subjected to regular non-breaking waves

This paper presents the application of a two-phase Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model to carry out a detailed investigation of nonlinear wave field surrounding a pair of columns placed in the tandem arrangement in the direction of wave propagation and corresponding harmonics. The numerical analysis is conducted using the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes/VOF model based on the OpenFOAM framework combined with the olaFlow toolbox for wave generation and absorption. For the simulations, the truncated cylinders are assumed vertical and surface piercing with a circular cross-section subjected to regular, non-breaking fifth-order Stokes waves propagating with moderate steepness in deep water. Primarily, the numerical model is validated with experimental data for a single cylinder. Future, the given simulations are conducted for different centre-to-centre distances between the tandem large cylinders. The results show the evolution of a strong wave diffraction pattern and consequently, high wave amplification harmonics around cylinders are apparent.

Wave Exciting Force Maximization of Truncated Cylinders in a Linear Array

This study focuses on the determination of optimum layout configurations for a linear array of identical mutually interacting truncated cylinders. Optimum configurations correspond to those that maximize either the total heave exciting force acting on all cylinders of the array or the heave exciting force applied on pairs of cylinders within the array. For achieving this goal, we developed and applied an efficient optimization numerical process (ONP), where a robust hydrodynamic numerical model, capable of solving the diffraction problem of the examined multi-body arrangement in the frequency domain, was appropriately coupled with a genetic algorithm solver in an integrated computational environment. Initially, the efficiency of the ONP is demonstrated by comparing results with those of other investigations that resulted from the deployment of classical optimization methods. Then, ONP is applied for a linear array of nine cylinders for determining the optimum layout configurations under the action of the head and perpendicular to the array waves, and for different maximum allowable array lengths. The resulting optimum configurations correspond to a random positioning of the cylinders within the array. Nevertheless, they are characterized by the formation of clusters of closely-positioned cylinders, which induce positive hydrodynamic interactions in terms of maximizing the exciting forces.