Proceedings of the Thirty-second (2022) International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference
Shanghai, China, June 5–10, 2022
Copyright © 2022 by the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE)
ISBN 978-1-880653-81-4; ISSN 1098-6189

www.isope.org

Hydroelastic Analysis Method for a Multi-Connected Domain Tourism Platform
Qi-bin Wang1,2, Jun Ding1,2, Yu-chao Chen1,2, Xiao-ming Cheng1,2, Xin-yu Zhang1,2, Xin-yun Ni1,2, You-sheng Wu1,2, Chun-rong He1,2
1. China Ship Scientific Research Center
Wuxi, China

2. Taihu Laboratory of Deepsea Technological Science
Wuxi, China

The tourism platform “Heart of Ocean” is a new kind of MultiConnected Domain Floating Body (MCDFB). This platform is heartshaped and composed of several modules, and its horizontal size ismuch larger than its vertical one, which leads to low structural stiffness.
In addition, this platform has several inner free surfaces, so wave
resonance is more likely to happen due to the excitation of ocean waves
and leads to large structural responses. In this paper, a new kind ofthree-dimensional hydroelastic analysis method in time domain isdeveloped to predict responses of a preliminary designed tourism
platform in waves, which may provide useful guidance for the design ofthis kind of platform.

time domain is given in detail. Secondly, the establishment method of
the structural analysis model is introduced. The structural model of theplatform is simplified as a Rigid Modules and Flexible Connectors(RMFC) model, which is suitable for the preliminary design of theplatform. The stiffness of the connector is evaluated preliminarily, andthe influence of different connector stiffnesses on section loads isstudied. Finally, comprehensive analyses of motions, sectional loads,and waves on inner free surfaces of the tourism platform are carried out.
Vertical loads on all sections are calculated and high-load sections areanalyzed. The influence of the wave resonance on motions andsectional loads is also investigated. Several conclusions aresummarized, which may provide useful guidance for the further designof the tourism platform.

KEY WORDS: Hydroelasticity; tourism platform; multi-connected

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

ABSTRACTdomain floating body; RMFC model; sectional force; wave elevation
An equilibrium Cartesian coordinate system Oxyz is established asINTRODUCTION

shown in Fig. 1. The origin point O is located on the gravity center ofthe platform projected on the undisturbed free surface. The x -axis
coincides with the length of the platform and the z -axis orients
upwards. The symbols S B , S F , and  represent the hull surface of theplatform, the free surface, and the fluid domain, respectively.

The tourism platform “Heart of Ocean” is a new kind of the MultiConnected Domain Floating Body (MCDFB). This platform is heartshaped with several modules composed of, and these modules areconnected by several connectors. The horizontal size of this platform ismuch larger than its vertical one, so the structural stiffness is quite low
and the fluid-structure interaction must be considered due to thepossible large structural deformation in ocean waves. In addition, thisplatform has several inner fluid domains, and they are almost connectedwith the outer fluid domain through the bottom of the platform only. So
the hydrodynamic behavior of inner fluid domains may be similar tomoonpools on drilling vessels, and the wave resonance is more likely tohappen due to the excitation of ocean waves, leading to large waves
and large structural responses.
Based on the traditional 3D hydroelastic analysis method (Wu, 1984)
and the direct coupling hydroelastic method (Ding, 2019), this paper
develops a new kind of three-dimensional hydroelastic analysis method
in time-domain is developed to predict responses of the MCDFB inwaves, and is used for studying responses of the preliminary designed
tourism platform. This paper is divided into three parts. Firstly, thebasic theory of the three-dimensional hydroelastic analysis method in

Fig.1. The schematic diagram of the equilibrium coordinate system

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