A unified finite element formulation for the hydroelastic analysis of moored and hinged floating structures using Mindlin-Timoshenko theory

Abstract

This paper presents a unified monolithic finite element formulation of the moored floating structure in the frequency domain. The fluid-structure problem is solved by monolithically coupling the linearised potential flow theory and the Mindlin-Timoshenko beam model. In this formulation, the linear spring model is used for the mooring application. We present how the mooring application affects the hydroelastic response of the structure and to the surrounding fluid. Furthermore, we explore the applicability of this formulation for wave energy generation by applying power take-off on the mooring lines and examining the power generated from the structure's motion. We show that the proposed formulation accurately represents the mooring application over a wide range of frequencies, specifically in the high-frequency problem.