Prediction of Green Water and Wave Loading Using a Navier-Stokes Based Simulation Tool

Results of computer simulation of wave and green water loading on floating offshore structures are presented. The simulation program used is a CFD code which solves the Navier-Stokes equations that describe flow of incompressible viscous fluids. The Navier-Stokes equations are discretised using a Finite Volume method on a Cartesian grid with staggered variables. The free surface is displaced using a Volume Of Fluid based algorithm combined with a local height function. In this paper results of validation and sensitivity tests of simulation of green water on the foredeck of an FPSO are presented. Here, the waves are modeled as a dam of water around the deck which is suddenly released. Furthermore, wave loading from impact of regular waves on a SPAR platform is computed and compared with experimental results. The program is found to be robust and the computational results show good agreement with the experiments.