On Wave Diffraction of a Two-Dimensional Moonpool in a Two-Layer Fluid in Finite Water Depth

Abstract

This paper studies the wave diffraction of a two-dimensional moonpool in a two-layer fluid in finite water depth by using a domain decomposition scheme and an eigenfunction matching method. The formulae of the wave exciting forces, the free surface and internal wave elevations at zero-frequency are derived. Numerical convergence has been assessed by repeating the computations for increasing values of the truncation orders. The present model has been validated by comparing a limiting case with a single-layer fluid case and the comparisons are in general satisfactory. Although the wave exciting forces and free surface wave elevations around resonance frequency are overestimated, the piston mode resonance frequency is well predicted. Two typical configurations with different moonpool widths are selected for computations in both free surface and internal wave modes. It is found that, the wave exciting forces, free surface and internal wave elevations in internal wave mode are much smaller than those in free surface wave mode. In addition, the wave exciting forces in internal wave mode attenuate to zero quickly as incident wave frequency increases. For moonpool with small width, only piston mode resonance can be observed. The piston mode resonance frequencies identified in free surface and internal wave modes are the same. The characteristics of piston mode resonance can also be observed in the horizontal and vertical wave exciting forces. Around the piston mode resonance frequency, the wave exciting forces reach their local maximums. It is revealed that, as moonpool width increases, the piston mode resonance frequency decreases. Meanwhile, it shows that more asymmetric and symmetric sloshing mode resonances appear alternately and occur at higher frequencies than the piston mode resonance. Moreover, the predicted sloshing mode resonance frequencies are compared with those estimated by a simple approximate formula.