Fully nonlinear wave-body interactions with surface-piercing bodies

Fully nonlinear wave-body interactions for stationary surface-piercing single and double bodies are studied by a potential-theory-based fully nonlinear 2D numerical wave tank (NWT). The NWT was developed in time domain by using boundary element method (BEM) with constant panels. MEL free surface treatment and Runge-Kutta fourth-order time integration with smoothing scheme was used for free-surface time simulation. The acceleration-potential scheme is employed to obtain accurate time derivative of velocity potential. Using the steady part of nonlinear force time histories, mean and a series of higher-harmonic force components are calculated and compared with the experimental and numerical results of other researchers. The slow-decaying second-harmonic vertical forces are investigated with particle velocities and corresponding body pressure. Typical patterns of two-body interactions, shielding effect, and the pumping/sloshing modes of water column in various gap distances are investigated. The pumping mode in low frequencies is demonstrated by the comparison of velocity magnitudes. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.