AN ASSESSMENT OF HYDROELASTICITY FOR VERY LARGE HINGED VESSELS

A computational analysis is presented for the effects of waves on very large hinged vessels consisting of several modules, connected by simple hinges. Two generic types of modules are considered: rectangular barges similar to the Megafloat prototype and semi-submersibles similar to those proposed for mobile offshore bases. Most of the computations are for configurations with five modules, each of length 300 m. The results include vertical motions, structural deflections, and hinge shear forces in head and oblique waves. A range of structural stiffness parameters is considered, to permit a quantitative assessment of the importance of hydroelasticity.