Experimental study on dynamic response of deep-draft cylindrical offshore platform under wave loads

The offshore nuclear power platform is a remote island power supply with great prospects for development. This paper addresses the hydrodynamic performance of a new deep-draft cylindrical offshore platform for carrying nuclear reactors. The platform solves the problems of motion resonance and space waste of arranging the nuclear reactor directly on the traditional cylindrical platform and SPAR platform. The novelty of the platform is highlighted through statistical generalization based on dimensionless master scale parameters. A test model and scheme suitable for deep-draft cylindrical offshore platform are established. Through the model test, the platform natural properties and the motion response under different sea conditions are obtained. Spectral analysis is applied to study the platform motion and mooring tension response characteristics. The results show that the natural motion periods of the platform are obviously larger than the main wave period range of the operating sea area, and the resonance risk is low. Under the sea state of 1-in-100-years, the maximum displacement of the platform is 14.088 m, and the maximum dynamic inclination is 10.223°. The motion performance meets the design requirements. It is worth noting that the pitch plays a significant effect in influencing the heave, yaw, and mooring line tension response. This effect is greater as the sea state roughness increases. Improving the pitch of the platform deserves in-depth study. In addition, the results of this study address the gap in experimental data, providing a reference for numerical modeling and further research.