Hydrodynamic response analysis of the aquaculture net under the combined action of irregular waves and currents

The hydrodynamic response of fishing nets is crucial in aquaculture. During service, due to severe sea states and collisions with large fish, potentially resulting in net damage. Analyzing this damage is complex due to the large number of net meshes. This study establishes a mathematical model of the net system under wave-current coupling based on the rigid-body kinematics and the lumped-mass method. An analysis was conducted to investigate how various environmental conditions and types of damage affect net deformation and force. Results indicate that maximum force occurs at the connections to the rigid frame and the midpoint of the net. Among various types of net damage, the nodes motion increased exclusively around the periphery of the damaged area, while the netting twine force significantly decreased only in the direction of the damage. Notably, damage to the upper net has the greatest impact on both netting twine force and deformation.