• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.711-722
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• 2020

An optimization framework using genetic algorithms has been developed towards an automated parametric optimization of the Octabuoy semi-submersible design. Compared with deep draft production units, the design of the shallow draught Octabuoy semi-submersible provides a floating system with improved motion characteristics, being less susceptible to vortex induced motions in loop currents. The relatively large water plane area results in a decreased natural heave period, which locates the floater in the wave period range with more wave energy. Considering this, the hull design of Octabuoy semi-submersible has been optimized to improve the floater's motion performance. The optimization has been conducted with optimized parameters of the pontoon's rectangular cross section area, the cone shaped section's height and diameter. Through numerical evaluations of both the 1st-order and 2nd-order hydrodynamics, the optimization through genetic algorithms has been proven to provide improved hydrodynamic performance, in terms of heave and pitch motions. This work presents a meaningful framework as a reference in the process of floating system's design.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.243-248
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• 2011

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.274-279
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• 2014

This paper investigates the line dynamic forces connecting tugs and a floater, where the planar motion of the floater is due to the weather criteria during the position keeping of the offshore structure by tugs. The analysis situation consists of the position keeping states for the seabed mooring line connection work of the offshore structure at the offshore site. Specifically, the decision about the tug power capacity for the position keeping is essential and depends on the weather criteria, line characteristics, length of line, etc. The planar motion of the structure is constrained by the interference of the installation vessel's operational range, behavior of the underwater fairlead, and other surrounding structures. In this paper, the tug line forces and planar motion of an offshore structure are summarized dependent on the tug line length and line material characteristics in the states fora given floater draft and weather criteria. The tug line dynamic forces and planar motion evaluated here will be used to determine the proper tug power and clearance of an offshore structure.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.28-35
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• 2011

In this paper, the wave-induced motion characteristics of a floating pendulor are investigated numerically. A floating pendulor is a movable-body-type wave energy converter. This device consists of three main parts (floater, pendulum, and damping plates). In order to obtain the hydrodynamic coefficients and wave exciting forces acting on floating bodies, a higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM) using a wave Green function is applied to the present problems. The hinged motion of a pendulum is simulated by applying the penalty method. In order to obtain a more realistic motion response for a pendulor, numerical body damping is included. First, the wave force and motion characteristics of just a floater are observed with respect to different shape parameters. Then, a coupled analysis of a floater, pendulum, and damping plates is carried out. The relative pitch velocity and wave forces acting on the floating pendulor are compared with those of a fixed pendulor.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.217-224
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• 2014

We have developed the novel device that can extract energy from ocean waves utilizing the heaving motion of a floating mass. The major components of the energy converter are: a floater, a counterweight, a cable, a driving pulley, two idler pulleys, a ratchet, and a generator. The device generates power through the tension force in the cable and the weight difference between the floater and the counterweight. When the system is at static free condition, the tension in the cable is equal to the weight of the counterweight which is minimum. Therefore it is desirable to keep the counterweight lighter than the floater. However, experiments show that during the rise of the water level, the torque generated by weight of the counterweight is insufficient to rotate the driving pulley which causes the cable on the floater side to slack. The proposed application of the tension pulley rectifies these problems by preventing the cable from becoming slack when the water level rises. In this paper, the dynamics model is modified to incorporate the dynamics of the tension pulley. This has been achieved by first writing the dynamical equations for the tension pulley and the energy converter separately and combining them later. This paper investigates numerically the effect of the tension pulley on various physical quantities such as the cable tension, the floater displacement, and the floater velocity. Results obtained indicate that this application is successful in suppressing large fluctuations of the cable tension.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2024

As increasing demands for a floating structure expanded from offshore industry facilities to living facilities, it has emerged that necessity of techniques to reduce motions of a floating structure. This study present a floating structure with porosity on the outer surface of the floater. Under each regular and irregular wave, responses of the floater was investigated in frequency domain. The proposed structure is composed of inner and outer floaters, which are connected to each other and the outer wall is perforated, and the heave and the pitch of floaters with different perforation rates (0~30%) were compared with at both the center and the edge. The results showed that pitch responses can be decreased by increasing of perforation rate of the floater. Comparing with responses of the non-perforated floater, those of the proposed floating structure were reduced to above 10% and 2%, respectively for regular and irregular wave conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.141-147
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• 2006

A newly designed floating breakwater made of Polyethylene with considering the introduction of new material for being harmony with environment and stability of the floater is developed for a marine ranching. In this study, the new concept in which incident wave dissipates its energy due to the vortex shedding by passing through the pipes and sheets is selected for wave breaking mechanism. Model experiment in order to te st its capability is performed for the regular and irregular waves in ocean engineering basin. Good capability to break the incident wave within the 6 seconds of period and 1 m of height is shown. Breaking efficiency for long period wave is not so good in regular and irregular wave. The results of this study will contribute to the design and construction of the floating breakwater.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.79-99
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• 2018

The effects of BPC (blade pitch control) on FOWT (floating offshore wind turbine) motions and generated power are investigated by using a fully-coupled turbine-floater-mooring simulation program. In this regard, two example FOWTs, OC4-5MW semi-submersible FOWT and KRISO four-3MW-units FOWT, are selected since the numerical simulations of those two FOWTs have been verified against experiments in authors' previous studies. Various simulations are performed changing BPC natural frequency (BPCNF), BPC damping ratio (BPCDR), and wind speeds. Through the numerical simulations, it was demonstrated that negative damping can happen for platform pitch motions and its influences are affected by BPCNF, BPCDR, and wind speeds. If BPCNF is significantly larger than platform-pitch natural frequency, the pitch resonance can be very serious due to the BPC-induced negative-damping effects, which should be avoided in the FOWT design. If wind speed is significantly higher than the rated wind velocity, the negative damping effects start to become reduced. Other important findings are also given through systematic sensitivity investigations.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.295-307
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• 2013

More FOWTs (floating offshore wind turbines) will be installed as relevant regulations and technological hurdles are removed in the coming years. In the present study, a numerical prediction tool has been developed for the fully coupled dynamic analysis of FOWTs in time domain including aero-loading, tower elasticity, blade-rotor dynamics and control, mooring dynamics, and platform motions so that the influence of rotor-control dynamics on the hull-mooring performance and vice versa can be assessed. The developed coupled analysis program is applied to Hywind spar design with 5 MW turbine. In case of spar-type floaters, the control strategy significantly influences the hull and mooring dynamics. If one of the control systems fails, the entire dynamic responses of FOWT can be significantly different. Therefore, it is important to maintain various control systems in a good operational condition. In this regard, the effects of failed blade pitch control system on FOWT performance including structural and dynamic responses of blades, tower, and floater are systematically investigated. Through this study, it is seen that the failure of one of the blade pitch control system can induce significant dynamic loadings on the other blades and the entire FOWT system. The developed technology and numerical tool are readily applicable to any types of floating wind farms in any combinations of irregular waves, dynamic winds, and steady currents.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.821-827
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• 2015

This study concentrates on a wave energy converter with floaters that extracts the ocean's energy by moving up and down with the wave motion. The floater is connected to an arm structure, including a hydraulic cylinder that drives a hydraulic generator. This study focuses on a structural analysis of the floater unit, including arm and cylinder components, platform and jack-up system, along with spud columns. Previous studies have been conducted for miniature models for experimentation, but this study focuses on the full-scale model structural analysis. Static structural analysis is conducted using fine numerical grids. Due to the complexity of the whole model, it is analyzed in separate pieces. The floater unit, with arm and cylinder, are combined into one system. The platform is analyzed separately as a single system. There are four jack-up systems for each spud column; only one jack-up system is analyzed, as uniform loads are assumed on each system. There are several load cases for each system, all of which are analyzed thoroughly for stress (von Mises, shear, and normal) and deformation. Acceptable results were obtained for most of the components; unsafe components were redesigned.