Motion equation and hydrodynamic model for a hinged multi-body array with arbitrary arrangement

摘要

The motion equation for an array of bodies connected by inclined rodswith hinges is newly derived in this study. Based on the proposedmotion equation, a numerical model is developed to evaluate themotion response of an array of interconnected bodies in an arbitraryarrangement in waves. The multi-body hydrodynamic problem issolved based on a boundary-integral-equation method in associationwith a higher-order boundary element method. In addition, in order toachieve a low storage and high efficiency, the multipole expansiontechnique is applied when the number of unknowns is large in thecomputation. With the velocity potential being solved, thehydrodynamic forces are calculated, and the motion response of thesystem is determined based on the proposed motion equation. Thedeveloped model is validated through a comparison with otherpublished results. Additionally, detailed numerical analysis has beenconducted based on the developed model. In the numerical analysis, thebodies are arranged into an equilateral triangle configuration or aregular hexagon configuration, and the hydrodynamic characteristicsrelated to an array of bodies connected by inclined rods with hinges areexplored.