Hydroelastic theory for offshore floating plates of variable flexural rigidity

S. Michele*, S. Zheng, E. Renzi, A.G.L. Borthwick, D. M Greaves

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

We present a theoretical model of the hydrodynamic behaviour of a floating flexible plate of variable flexural rigidity connected to the seabed by a spring/damper system. Decomposition of the response modes into rigid and bending elastic components allows us to investigate the hydroelastic behaviour of the plate subject to monochromatic incident free-surface waves of constant amplitude. We show that spatially dependent plate stiffness affects the eigenfrequencies and modal shapes, with direct consequences on plate dynamics and wave power extraction efficiency. We also examine how plate length and Power Take-Off (PTO) distribution affect the response of the system and its consequent absorbed energy. This work highlights the need to improve existing models of flexible floating energy platforms, especially given their importance in the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) sector.
Original languageEnglish
Article number104060
Number of pages23
JournalJournal of Fluids and Structures
Volume125
Early online date8 Jan 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2024

Keywords

  • Fluid–structure interaction
  • Flexible structures
  • Offshore renewable energy
  • Potential flow theory

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