Hydrodynamic characteristics of a fixed semi-submersible platform interacting with incident waves by fully nonlinear method

Based on the potential flow theory, a fully nonlinear numerical procedure is developed with boundary element method to analyze the interaction between a fixed semi-submersible platform and incident waves in open water. The incident wave is separated from the scattered wave under fully nonlinear boundary conditions. The mixed Euler-Lagrangian method is used to capture the position of the disturbed wave surface in local coordinate systems. The wave forces exerted on an inverted conical frustum are used to ensure the accuracy of the present method and good agreements with published results are obtained. The hydrodynamic characteristics of the semi-submersible platform interacting with regular waves are analyzed. Pressure distribution with time and space, tension and compression of the platform under wave action are investigated. 3D behaviors of wave run-ups are predicted. Strong nonlinear phenomena such as wave upwelling and wave interference are observed and analyzed.