Modern offshore wind turbines are susceptible to blade deformation because of their increased size and the recent trend of installing these turbines on floating platforms in deep sea. In this paper, ...an aeroelastic analysis tool for floating offshore wind turbines is presented by coupling a high‐fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver with a general purpose multibody dynamics code, which is capable of modelling flexible bodies based on the nonlinear beam theory. With the tool developed, we demonstrated its applications to the NREL 5 MW offshore wind turbine with aeroelastic blades. The impacts of blade flexibility and platform‐induced surge motion on wind turbine aerodynamics and structural responses are studied and illustrated by the CFD results of the flow field, force, and wake structure. Results are compared with data obtained from the engineering tool FAST v8.
Voyage optimization is a practice to select the optimum route for the ship operators to increase energy efficiency and reduce Green House Gas emission in the shipping industry. An accurate prediction ...of ship operational performance is the prerequisite to achieve these targets. In this paper, a modified Kwon׳s method was developed to predict the added resistance caused by wave and wind for a specific ship type, and an easy-to-use semi-empirical ship operational performance prediction model is proposed. It can accurately predict the ship׳s operational performance for a specific commercial ship under different drafts, at varying speeds and in varying encounter angles, and then enables the user to investigate the relation between fuel consumption and the various sea states and directions that the ship may encounter during her voyage. Based on the results from the operational performance prediction model and real time climatological information, different options for the ship׳s navigation course can be evaluated according to a number of objectives, including: maximizing safety and minimizing fuel consumption and voyage time. By incorporating this into a decision support tool, the ship׳s crew are able to make an informed decision about what is the best course to navigate.
In this study the Energy Efficiency of Operation (EEO) is defined as an indicator to illustrate the ratio of main engine fuel consumption per unit of transport work. Two case studies are carried out to perform the prediction of ship operational performance for Suezmax and Aframax Oil Tankers, and the results indicate that the semi-empirical ship operational performance prediction model provides extremely quick calculation with very reasonable accuracy, particularly considering the uncertainties related to the parameters of interest for the case study data. Within the case studies, the additional fuel consumption caused by the combined hull and propeller fouling and engine degradation is included in the model as a time-dependent correction factor. The factor may assist the ship owner/operator to determine the hull coating selection, and/or the dry-docking and main engine maintenance strategy.
•Voyage optimization through optimal voyage route selection considering weather conditions and minimal fuel consumption•A modified added resistance prediction method for specific commercial ship was developed•An easy using semi-empirical ship operational performance prediction model was proposed•Accurate prediction of a specific commercial ship performance under each loading condition, speed and relative wave heading direction
It has been commonly observed on open waters that ducklings/goslings follow their mothers in a highly organized formation. The questions arise: (1) why are they swimming in formation? (2) what is the ...best swimming formation? (3) how much energy can be preserved by each individual in formation swimming? To address these questions, we established a simplified mathematical and numerical model and calculated the wave drag on a group of waterfowl in a swimming formation. We observed two new and interesting findings: wave-riding and wave-passing. By riding the waves generated by a mother duck, a trailing duckling can obtain a significant wave-drag reduction. When a duckling swims at the ‘sweet point’ behind its mother, a destructive wave interference phenomenon occurs and the wave drag of the duckling turns positive, pushing the duckling forward. More interestingly, this wave-riding benefit could be sustained by the rest of the ducklings in a single-file line formation. Starting from the third one in a queue, the wave drag of individuals gradually tended towards zero, and a delicate dynamic equilibrium was achieved. Each individual under that equilibrium acted as a wave passer, passing the waves’ energy to its trailing one without any energy losses. Wave-riding and wave-passing are probably the principal reasons for the evolution of swimming formation by waterfowl. This study is the first to reveal the reasons why the formation movement of waterfowl can preserve individuals’ energy expenditure. Our calculations provide new insights into the mechanisms of formation swimming.
In this paper, we present numerical modelling for the investigation of dynamic responses of a floating offshore wind turbine subject to focused waves. The modelling was carried out using a ...Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool. We started with the generation of a focused wave in a numerical wave tank based on a first-order irregular wave theory, then validated the developed numerical method for wave-structure interaction via a study of floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) to focused wave. Subsequently, we investigated the wave-/wind-structure interaction of a fixed semi-submersible platform, a floating semi-submersible platform and a parked National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW floating offshore wind turbine. To understand the nonlinear effect, which usually occurs under severe sea states, we carried out a systematic study of the motion responses, hydrodynamic and mooring tension loads of floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) over a range of wave steepness, and compared the results obtained from two potential flow theory tools with each other, i.e., Électricité de France (EDF) in-house code and NREL Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence (FAST). We found that the nonlinearity of the hydrodynamic loading and motion responses increase with wave steepness, revealed by higher-order frequency response, leading to the appearance of discrepancies among different tools.
Fishing boats have unique features that make them prone to changing loading conditions. When the boat leaves the port, the empty fish tank gradually fills up during fishing operations which may ...result in parametric roll (PR). This dangerous phenomenon that can lead to capsizing. The present study aims to understand better the behaviour of parametric roll in fishing boats and its relation to changing loading conditions. The study considers the effects of displacement and the GM/KM ratio on parametric roll, as well as the longitudinal flare distribution at the waterline. Two assessments to detect the parametric roll occurrence in early stage were carried out by using the level 1 assessment of parametric roll based on the Second Generation of Intact Stability criteria (SGIS) from International maritime Organisation (IMO) and the Susceptibility criteria of Parametric roll from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Then, the CFD method is used to predict the amplitude of the parametric roll phenomenon. The results provide important insights to fishing vessel operators on how to manage loading conditions to maintain stability and avoid hazardous situations. By following the guidelines outlined in this study, fishing boats can operate more safely and efficiently, reducing the risk of accidents and improving the overall sustainability of the fishing industry.
The problem of predicting a ship’s form factor and associated scale effects has been subject to many investigations in recent years. In this study, an attempt is made to investigate whether the form ...factor is influenced by a change in the ship’s speed by numerically modelling a geosim series of the KCS hull form by means of a RANS solver. The turbulence dependence of the problem is also studied by altering the closure model among three widely used approaches (the k-ω, k-ω SST, and k-ε models). The results show that at very low speeds (Froude numbers in the range of 0.02–0.06) the numerical model predicts changes in the form factor of a ship between 10% and 20%, depending on the turbulence model and scale factor choices. As the speed is increased further, the form factor exhibits little change, usually in the range of 1% or less. Simulations where the Reynolds number is changed by approximately two orders of magnitude, achieved by altering the value of viscosity, confirmed that the form factor can be considered Froude-dependent only for low speeds, predicting essentially identical values when high speed cases are considered.
•The scale effect on a ship’s form factor is investigated numerically.•Effects of scale factor and speed are considered using linear and viscous scaling.•Turbulence dependence is found to be of greater importance than any other parameter.•Results reveal a Froude number dependence at low speeds.
At present, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) cannot perceive local environments in complex marine environments, where fish can obtain hydrodynamic information about the surrounding environment ...through a lateral line. Inspired by this biological function, an artificial lateral line system (ALLS) was built on a moving bionic carrier using the pressure sensor in this paper. When the carrier operated with different speeds in the flow field, the pressure distribution characteristics surrounding the carrier were analyzed by numerical simulation, where the effect of the flow angle between the fluid velocity direction and the carrier navigation direction was considered. The flume experiment was carried out in accordance with the simulation conditions, and the analysis results of the experiment were consistent with those in the simulation. The relationship between pressure and fluid velocity was established by a fitting method. Subsequently, the pressure difference method was investigated to establish a relationship model between the pressure difference on both sides of the carrier and the flow angle. Finally, a back propagation neural network model was used to predict the fluid velocity, flow angle, and carrier speed successfully in the unknown fluid environment. The local fluid environment perception by moving carrier carrying ALLS was studied which may promote the engineering application of the artificial lateral line in the local perception, positioning, and navigation on AUVs.