CFD Investigation into The Effect of Heave Plate on Vertical Motion Responses of a Floating Jetty

Abstract

When a floating jetty experiences an instability due to excessive vertical motions, it may potentially lead to serious consequences such as the loss of life and property. Corresponding to this problem, comprehensive investigation into effect of a heave plate on suppressing the vertical motion of the floating jetty is primarily required. To achieve the objective, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation approach has been conducted to analyse the vertical motion (heave motion) of the floating jetty, which is equipped with the heave plate. Several parameters such as the effect of wave periods (Tw) and drafts of the floating jetty have been taken into account in the computational simulation. In addition, the heave motion responses of the floating jetty are then quantified through a Response of Amplitude Operators (RAO). The CFD simulation results revealed that the floating jetty incorporated with the heave plate has generally reduced the heave motion of the floating jetty. Here, the RAO of its heave motion has sufficiently decreased up to 20 percent as compared with the case without the heave plate ones. Regardless of the wave periods, meanwhile, the subsequent increase of the floating jetty draft from 0.4 m to 0.8 m showed insignificant effect to suppress the RAO of its heave motion. It was merely concluded that the attached structural heave plate on the floating jetty is deemed necessary to reduce its dynamic heave motion responses.