Influences of low velocity uniform current on characteristics of gap resonance occurring between two adjacent fixed bodies

Abstract

Wave resonance phenomenon may occur in the narrow gap formed between adjacent marine structures, and the wave loads acting on the structures and the energy accumulated in the narrow gap may pose a huge threat to the safty operation of the structures. Via establishing a two-dimensional viscous wave-current flume based on the OpenFOAM® model, this article comprehensively investigates the influence of the direction and velocity of uniform current on the characteristics of gap resonance and the wave loads on the structures for a gap resonance system consisting of two fixed floating bodies. A wave analysis method based on the least squares principle is adopted to separate the incident and the reflected waves in the wave-current flume. The results show that both the following current and the opposing current increase the resonant frequency of the gap resonance. The opposing current increases the wave height amplification of the gap resonance system and the wave load on the structures, while the following current decreases them. In addition, the energy loss of the gap resonance system is slightly reduced by the following current, while the energy loss of the system is greatly increased by the opposing current.