• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.109-123
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• 2015

In the present study, the coupled dynamic response of a Submerged Floating Tunnel (SFT) and mooring lines under regular waves is solved by using two independent numerical simulation methods, OrcaFlex and CHARM3D, in time domain. Variations of Buoyancy to Weight Ratio (BWR), wave steepness/period, and water/submergence depth are considered as design and environmental parameters in the study. Two different mooring-line configurations, vertical and inclined, are studied to find an optimum design in terms of limiting tunnel motions and minimizing mooring-line tension. The numerical results are successfully validated by direct comparison against published experimental data. The results show that tunnel motions and tether tensions grow with wave height and period and decrease with submergence depth. The inclined mooring system is more effective in restricting tunnel motions compared to the vertical mooring system. Overall, the present study demonstrates the feasibility of this type of structure as an alternative to traditional bridges or under-seabed tunnels.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.413-433
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• 2017

The dynamic and structural responses of a 1000-m long circular submerged floating tunnel (SFT) with both ends fixed under survival irregular-wave excitations are investigated. The floater-mooring nonlinear and elastic coupled dynamics are modeled by a time-domain numerical simulation program, OrcaFlex. Two configurations of mooring lines i.e., vertical mooring (VM) and inclined mooring (IM), and four different buoyancy-weight ratios (BWRs) are selected to compare their global performances. The result of modal analysis is included to investigate the role of the respective natural frequencies and elastic modes. The effects of various submergence depths are also checked. The envelopes of the maximum/minimum horizontal and vertical responses, accelerations, mooring tensions, and shear forces/bending moments of the entire SFT along the longitudinal direction are obtained. In addition, at the mid-section, the time series and the corresponding spectra of those parameters are also presented and analyzed. The pros and cons of the two mooring shapes and high or low BWR values are systematically analyzed and discussed. It is demonstrated that the time-domain numerical simulation of the real system including nonlinear hydro-elastic dynamics coupled with nonlinear mooring dynamics is a good method to determine various design parameters.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1887-1895
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• 2013

In this study, physical experiments were performed in a two-dimensional wave flume to investigate the hydraulic and structural performance of a SFT model. The experiments were made by generating regular waves of different heights and periods under various conditions of buoyancy to weight ratio (BWR) and water depth as well. Through the analysis of the experimental data, it was clarified that the sway and heave motions of the tunnel body linearly increased with wave height and period. In contrast, the roll motion was rather insignificant unless wave height and period were comparatively large as the design wave. Similarly proportional relationship with respect to wave height and period was obtained in case of the maximum tensile force acting on the tension legs and the wave loads on the tunnel body. Regarding the change of water depth or BWR conditions, generally decreasing trend was obtained according to increase of water depth but decrease of BWR for both of the magnitudes of structural behaviors or wave loadings on the SFT structure.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.401-410
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• 2017

This study deals with dynamic instability of a tendon moored submerged floating tunnel (SFT) due to tendon slack. In general, environmental loadings such as wave and current govern SFT design. Especially, the wave force, whose amplitude and direction continuously change, directly induces the dynamic behavior of the SFT. The motion of the floating tube, induced by the wave force, leads dynamic response of the attached tendons and the dynamic change of internal forces of the tendons significantly affects to the fatigue design as well as the structural strength design. When the severe motion of the SFT occurs due to significant waves, tendons might lose their tension and slack so that the floating tube can be transiently instable. In this study, the characteristics of dynamic instability of the SFT due to tendon slack are investigated performing hydrodynamic analysis. In addition, the effects of draft, buoyancy-weight ratio, and tendon inclination on tendon slack and dynamic instability behavior are analytically investigated.