Session: 05-01-01 VLFS and New Concepts for Ocean Space Utilization

Paper Number: 122855

122855 - Hydroelastic Analysis of Interconnected Modular Systems for Floating Offshore Solar Photovoltaic Use 

An interconnected-modular system can be used as the floating foundation for offshore solar photovoltaic. The modular alone is a middle-hollow rectangular plate, where the hollow part sits the photovoltaic panel. A large number of modulars are interconnected to form a very large floating structure of huge hectares and a large length-to-thickness ratio, which makes its dynamic response a typical FSI problem. The Discrete Module Finite Element (DMFE) method is applied to the structure to calculate hydroelasticity under regular waves. The DMFE method first divides the structure into a certain number of macro-submodules with each of them treated as rigid bodies to perform a multi-rigid-body hydrodynamic analysis to obtain the hydrodynamic coefficients using the 3D potential flow theory. Each macro-submodule is treated as a lumped mass and the shell element is used to discretize the structure with the nodes being categorized into lumped masses, boundary nodes and inner nodes. The lumped-mass stiffness matrix is derived based on the sub-structure approach and matrix manipulations. Recovery of displacement response and the bending moment response are given. Different layout configurations are explored, i.e., a rectangular type and a square type. Effects of hinge connections in mitigating displacement and bending moment response is investigated. Good agreement with the mode-superposition method verifies the current model.

Presenting Author: Yongqiang CHEN Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Presenting Author Biography: The prsenting author is a 2nd year PhD student majored in Ocean Engineering with the main focus being hydroelasticity of VLFS. He has published 3 journal articles.

Authors:

Yongqiang CHEN Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Yifan Zhang Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Xiudi Ren PowerChina Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited
Jun Li Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Xiantao Zhang Shanghai Jiao Tong University