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OpenFOAM simulations

OpenFOAM, a well-established and widely used open-source CFD tool, achieves notable computational efficiency, primarily due to its use of a consistent background mesh, characteristic of the Eulerian method. The tool's effectiveness in simulating wave-structure interactions has been empirically validated.

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This is exemplified by the work of Chen et al. (2014) (DOI), who confirmed the accuracy of OpenFOAM in predicting nonlinear wave loads on fixed monopile foundations for offshore wind turbines.

  • Time series of horizontal wave loading on the cylinder and amplitude spectra for the four focused wave group cases (Chen et al., 2014). 

  • 3D views of the focused wave group impacting on the cylinder at several moments. The free surface level is shaded from blue to red. The unit for the colour legend is m. (Chen et al., 2014). 

Particle-In-Cell model simulations

To harness the benefits of both Eulerian and Lagrangian models, The hybrid model, Particle-In-Cell (PIC) approach, was developed at the University of Bath. The PIC model ingeniously combines a set of Lagrangian particles with a fixed background grid to discretise the fluid domain. These particles, carrying the fluid's material properties, are instrumental in tracking the free surface and solving the nonlinear advection term in a Lagrangian manner. Meanwhile, the grid facilitates computational processes, such as enforcing fluid incompressibility, boundary conditions, and fluid viscosity. The PIC model has been successfully applied in simulating wave-structure interactions for both fixed and floating structures, demonstrating a balance of accuracy, akin to Lagrangian models, and efficiency, comparable to Eulerian models.

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This effectiveness is highlighted in the work of Chen et al. (2018) (DOI), who verified the accuracy of the PIC model in predicting nonlinear wave loads on fixed monopile foundations for offshore wind turbines.

  • Snapshots of the numerical simulation for regular wave (R) interaction with a single cylinder (Chen et al., 2018).

  • Comparisons of the horizontal wave forces on the cylinder (left panels) and their corresponding amplitude spectra (right panels) (Chen et al., 2018).

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