FROTH: Fundamentals and Reliability of Offshore Structure Hydrodynamics

Lead Research Organisation: University of Bath
Department Name: Architecture and Civil Engineering

Abstract

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Description 1. In this project, we have developed a new improved numerical methodology for modelling strongly non-linear wave and breaking wave impact on structures, particularlly looking at the reliability of wave impact pressure prediction and free surface elevations under various breaking wave conditions, including broken wave, aerated, air-pocket and flip-through impact.

2. We have applied both incompressible flow solver and compressible flow solver for predicting breaking wave impact pressure on vertical wall, and conducted detailed comparisons for various wave conditions. The results have shown that though both models have predicted accepted results for impact pressures on the wall, compressible flow solver is able to produce higher peak impact pressure and the pressure oscillation inside the trapped air pocket .

3. Plymouth experiments on breaking waves impact on vertical wall have been reproduced numerically at the University of Bath using the numerical tool, OpenFOAM. Very good agreements have achieved for free surface elevations at a couple of locations in the wave flume, impact pressures and wave force on the wall. This has shown that the numerical tool is capable of modelling breaking wave impact on structures with reasonable accuracy and reliability when proper cell size and time step are used. We have found that flip-through impact causes the largest impact pressure on the wall.

4. Apart from breaking wave impact, solitary wave impact on coastal sea defence was also simulated by the numerical tool and compared with experiments. The results have also achieved very good agreements between the experiments and numerical predictions.

5. Wave impact on FPSO has also been investigated, and compared with the experiments performed in Plymouth wave tank, again good agreement with experimnetal results has achieved.
Exploitation Route 1. Our research outcome have been presented in international conferences, including the 30th IWWWFB Workshop (2015) in Bristol, the 25th ISOPE conference (2015) in Hawaii, the 11th PACOM Conference (2014) in Shanghai, and the 10th UK Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference (2014) in Cardiff.

2. Our research outcome will be published in leading journals. The draft of the journal paper has been circulated to the co-authors in other partner universities.

2. Our research results have been released on our project website.

3. We have organised three project workshops in January 2014 in London, April 2015 in Bath and September 2015 in Oxford for disseminating the research findings to potential end-users (e.g. coastal and marine engineers, the renewable energy industry, the offshore industry, and the research community in the related areas).
Sectors Aerospace

Defence and Marine

Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)

Education

Energy

Environment

Transport

URL https://collaborate.plymouth.ac.uk/sites/cerg/Pages/froth-research.aspx
 
Description The research outcome has been informed and shared with the industry through 1), talks given in seminars, such as SUTGEF meetings (Society of Underwater Technology), where participants are coming from both key industrial partners and academia., and also in conferences. 2), information given on CCP-WSI project web page to share our experimental and numerical results. 3), papers published in various journals and conferences.
First Year Of Impact 2014
Sector Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Energy,Environment,Transport
Impact Types Societal

Economic

 
Description EPSRC Nertwotk grant, A CCP on Wave/Structure Interaction: CCP-WSI
Amount £483,159 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/M022382/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2015 
End 09/2020
 
Description High End Computing Consortium for Wave Structure Interaction HEC WSI
Amount £355,960 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/X035751/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2023 
End 01/2027
 
Description Resilient Integrated-Coupled FOW platform design methodology (ResIn)
Amount £811,976 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/R007519/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2017 
End 07/2020
 
Description Severe Storm Wave Loads on Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations (SEA-SWALLOWS)
Amount £794,580 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/V050079/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2021 
End 09/2024
 
Title Numerical modelling of breaking wave impact on coastal and offshore structures 
Description In this project, we have developed a new improved numerical methodology for modelling strongly non-linear wave and breaking wave impact on structures, particularlly looking at the reliability of wave impact pressure prediction and free surface elevations under various breaking wave conditions, including broken wave, aerated, air-pocket and flip-through impact. We have applied both incompressible flow solver and compressible flow solver for predicting breaking wave impact pressure on vertical wall, and conducted detailed comparisons for various wave conditions. The results have shown that though both models have predicted accepted results for impact pressures on the wall, compressible flow solver is able to produce higher peak impact pressure and the pressure oscillation inside the trapped air pocket . 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - in vitro 
Year Produced 2015 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Project partners have been informed of the key findings of the research through project meetings/workshops, the research has also disseminated to potential end-users and research community through presentations in international conferences and project workshops. 
URL https://collaborate.plymouth.ac.uk/sites/cerg/Pages/froth-downloads.aspx
 
Title Modelling of breaking wave impact on coastal and offshore structures 
Description An improved numerical methodology for breaking wave impact on coastal and offshore structures have been investigated in the project. Both imcompressible and compressible flow solvers have been used for modelling breaking wave impact on vertical wall and compared. We have found that compressuble flow solver is able to predict higher peak impact pressure and the pressure oscillation inside the trapped air pocket. 
Type Of Material Computer model/algorithm 
Year Produced 2015 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact The research findings have been presented in a couple of international conferences and project workshops to a mixed audience from both industry and academia. 
URL https://collaborate.plymouth.ac.uk/sites/cerg/Pages/froth-home.aspx
 
Description FROTH research partnership 
Organisation City, University of London
Department Department of Civil Engineering
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have worked closely in the FROTH project, and regularly exchanged our research findings and research methods, as well as methodologies in project meetings and project workshops
Collaborator Contribution All partners have made significant contributions to the research project in different aspect, including both experiment and numerical work.
Impact Some of the joint papers are listed in the publication section.
Start Year 2013
 
Description FROTH research partnership 
Organisation Manchester Metropolitan University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have worked closely in the FROTH project, and regularly exchanged our research findings and research methods, as well as methodologies in project meetings and project workshops
Collaborator Contribution All partners have made significant contributions to the research project in different aspect, including both experiment and numerical work.
Impact Some of the joint papers are listed in the publication section.
Start Year 2013
 
Description FROTH research partnership 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Department of Engineering Science
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have worked closely in the FROTH project, and regularly exchanged our research findings and research methods, as well as methodologies in project meetings and project workshops
Collaborator Contribution All partners have made significant contributions to the research project in different aspect, including both experiment and numerical work.
Impact Some of the joint papers are listed in the publication section.
Start Year 2013
 
Description FROTH research partnership 
Organisation University of Plymouth
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have worked closely in the FROTH project, and regularly exchanged our research findings and research methods, as well as methodologies in project meetings and project workshops
Collaborator Contribution All partners have made significant contributions to the research project in different aspect, including both experiment and numerical work.
Impact Some of the joint papers are listed in the publication section.
Start Year 2013
 
Description Project Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Around 50 people attended the project workshop hosted by the University of Bath. Almost half of the attendees are overseas researchers who attended the project workshop just after they attended the 30th IWWWFB Conference held in Bristol, co-chaired by Dr. Jun Zang. Key research finddings from the FROTH project were disseminated to the mixed audience in the project workshop.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015