Numerical calculation method for the hydroelastic response of a pontoon-type very large floating structure close to a breakwater

This paper presents an effective scheme for calculating the wave-induced hydroelastic response of a pontoon-type very large floating structure (VLFS) when it is near a breakwater. The basic numerical calculation method is the one previously developed by the same author for a VLFS in the open sea (no breakwater), which is expanded to include the effect of the hydrodynamic mutual interaction between the breakwater and the floating structure. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method are validated through comparisons with other numerical results and with existing experimental results. After that confirmation, various numerical calculations were conducted, paying special attention to the resonance phenomena which will occur depending on the relation between the wavelength and the clearance between the breakwater and the floating structure. The irregular frequency phenomenon which appears in the calculation of the fluid dynamic problem is discussed in the appendices, including a method for its elimination. Received: October 31, 2000 / Accepted: December 19, 2000