Showing papers in "Journal of Marine Science and Application in 2013"

Ship Hull Form Optimization by Evolutionary Algorithm in Order to Diminish the Drag

Abstract: This study presents a numerical method for optimizing hull form in calm water with respect to total drag which contains a viscous drag and a wave drag. The ITTC 1957 model-ship correlation line was used to predict frictional drag and the corrected linearized thin-ship theory was employed to estimate the wave drag. The evolution strategy (ES) which is a member of the evolutionary algorithms (EAs) family obtains an optimum hull form by considering some design constraints. Standard Wigley hull is considered as an initial hull in optimization procedures for two test cases and new hull forms were achieved at Froude numbers 0.24, 0.316 and 0.408. In one case the ES technique was ran for the initial hull form, where the main dimensions were fixed and the only variables were the hull offsets. In the other case in addition to hull offsets, the main dimensions were considered as variables that are optimized simultaneously. The numerical results of optimization procedure demonstrate that the optimized hull forms yield a reduction in total drag.

Estimation of added resistance for large blunt ship in waves

Abstract: Under the background of the energy saving and emission reduction, more and more attention has been placed on investigating the energy efficiency of ships. The added resistance has been noted for being crucial in predicting the decrease of speed on a ship operating at sea. Furthermore, it is also significant to investigate the added resistance for a ship functioning in short waves of large modern ships. The researcher presents an estimation formula for the calculation of an added resistance study in short waves derived from the reflection law. An improved method has been proposed to calculate the added resistance due to ship motions, which applies the radiated energy theory along with the strip method. This procedure is based on an extended integral equation (EIE) method, which was used for solving the hydrodynamic coefficients without effects of the irregular frequency. Next, a combined method was recommended for the estimation of added resistance for a ship in the whole wave length range. The comparison data with other experiments indicate the method presented in the paper provides satisfactory results for large blunt ship.

Fuel saving and emissions cut through shore-side power concept for high-speed crafts at the red sea in egypt

Abstract: The progress of economic globalization, the rapid growth of international trade, and the maritime transportation has played an increasingly significant role in the international supply chain. As a result, worldwide seaports have suffered from a central problem, which appears in the form of massive amounts of fuel consumed and exhaust gas fumes emitted from the ships while berthed. Many ports have taken the necessary precautions to overcome this problem, while others still suffer due to the presence of technical and financial constraints. In this paper, the barriers, interconnection standards, rules, regulations, power sources, and economic and environmental analysis related to ships, shore-side power were studied in efforts to find a solution to overcome his problem. As a case study, this paper investigates the practicability, costs and benefits of switching from onboard ship auxiliary engines to shore-side power connection for high-speed crafts called Alkahera while berthed at the port of Safaga, Egypt. The results provide the national electricity grid concept as the best economical selection with 49.03 percent of annual cost saving. Moreover, environmentally, it could achieve an annual reduction in exhaust gas emissions of CO2, CO, NOx, P.M, and SO2 by 276, 2.32, 18.87, 0.825 and 3.84 tons, respectively.

Boundary control of coupled nonlinear three dimensional marine risers

Abstract: This paper presents a design of boundary controllers implemented at the top end for global stabilization of a marine riser in a three dimensional space under environmental loadings. Based on the energy approach, nonlinear partial differential equations of motion, including bending-bending and longitudinal-bending couplings for the risers are derived. The couplings cause mutual effects between the three independent directions in the riser's motions, and make it difficult to minimize its vibrations. The Lyapunov direct method is employed to design the boundary controller. It is shown that the proposed boundary controllers can effectively reduce the riser's vibration. Stability analysis of the closed-loop system is performed using the Lyapunov direct method. Numerical simulations illustrate the results.

Overview of past, present and future marine power plants

Abstract: In efforts to overcome an foreseeable energy crisis predicated on limited oil and gas supplies, reserves; economic variations facing the world, and of course the environmental side effects of fossil fuels, an urgent need for energy sources that provide sustainable, safe and economic supplies for the world is imperative. The current fossil fuel energy system must be improved to ensure a better and cleaner transportation future for the world. Despite the fact that the marine transportation sector consumes only 5% of global petroleum production; it is responsible for 15% of the world NOx and SOx emissions. These figures must be the engine that powers the scientific research worldwide to develop new solutions for a very old energy problem. In this paper, the most effective types of marine power plants were discussed. The history of the development of each type was presented first and the technical aspects were discussed second. Also, the fuel cells as a new type of power plants used in marine sector were briefed to give a complete overview of the past, present and future of the marine power plants development. Based on the increased worldwide concerns regarding harmful emissions, many researchers have introduced solutions to this problem, including the adoption of new cleaner fuels. This paper was guided using the same trend and by implementing the hydrogen as fuel for marine internal combustion engine, gas turbines, and fuel cells.

Two-dimensional numerical simulation of an elastic wedge water entry by a coupled FDM-FEM method

Abstract: Hydroelastic behavior of an elastic wedge impacting on calm water surface was investigated. A partitioned approach by coupling finite difference method (FDM) and finite element method (FEM) was developed to analyze the fluid structure interaction (FSI) problem. The FDM, in which the Constraint Interpolation Profile (CIP) method was applied, was used for solving the flow field in a fixed regular Cartesian grid system. Free surface was captured by the Tangent of Hyperbola for Interface Capturing with Slope Weighting (THINC/SW) scheme. The FEM was applied for calculating the structural deformation. A volume weighted method, which was based on the immersed boundary (IB) method, was adopted for coupling the FDM and the FEM together. An elastic wedge water entry problem was calculated by the coupled FDM-FEM method. Also a comparison between the current numerical results and the published results indicate that the coupled FDM-FEM method has reasonably good accuracy in predicting the impact force.

Scattering of surface water waves involving semi-infinite floating elastic plates on water of finite depth

Abstract: Two problems of scattering of surface water waves involving a semi-infinite elastic plate and a pair of semi-infinite elastic plates, separated by a gap of finite width, floating horizontally on water of finite depth, are investigated in the present work for a two-dimensional time-harmonic case. Within the frame of linear water wave theory, the solutions of the two boundary value problems under consideration have been represented in the forms of eigenfunction expansions. Approximate values of the reflection and transmission coefficients are obtained by solving an over-determined system of linear algebraic equations in each problem. In both the problems, the method of least squares as well as the singular value decomposition have been employed and tables of numerical values of the reflection and transmission coefficients are presented for specific choices of the parameters for modelling the elastic plates. Our main aim is to check the energy balance relation in each problem which plays a very important role in the present approach of solutions of mixed boundary value problems involving Laplace equations. The main advantage of the present approach of solutions is that the results for the values of reflection and transmission coefficients obtained by using both the methods are found to satisfy the energy-balance relations associated with the respective scattering problems under consideration. The absolute values of the reflection and transmission coefficients are presented graphically against different values of the wave numbers.

Energy analysis of a combined solid oxide fuel cell with a steam turbine power plant for marine applications

Abstract: Strong restrictions on emissions from marine power plants (particularly SO x , NO x ) will probably be adopted in the near future. In this paper, a combined solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and steam turbine fuelled by natural gas is proposed as an attractive option to limit the environmental impact of the marine sector. The analyzed variant of the combined cycle includes a SOFC operated with natural gas fuel and a steam turbine with a single-pressure waste heat boiler. The calculations were performed for two types of tubular and planar SOFCs, each with an output power of 18 MW. This paper includes a detailed energy analysis of the combined system. Mass and energy balances are performed not only for the whole plant but also for each component in order to evaluate the thermal efficiency of the combined cycle. In addition, the effects of using natural gas as a fuel on the fuel cell voltage and performance are investigated. It has been found that a high overall efficiency approaching 60% may be achieved with an optimum configuration using the SOFC system. The hybrid system would also reduce emissions, fuel consumption, and improve the total system efficiency.

Resistance analysis of unsymmetrical trimaran model with outboard sidehulls configuration

Abstract: The application of multi-hull ship or trimaran vessel as a mode of transports in both river and sea environments have grown rapidly in recent years. Trimaran vessels are currently of interest for many new high speed ship projects due to the high levels of hydrodynamic efficiency that can be achieved, compared to the mono-hull and catamaran hull forms. The purpose of this study is to identify the possible effects of using an unsymmetrical trimaran ship model with configuration (S/L) 0.1–0.3 and R/L=0.1–0.2. Unsymmetrical trimaran ship model with main dimensions: L=2000mm, B=200 mm and T=45 mm. Experimental methods (towing tank) were performed in the study using speed variations at Froude number 0.1–0.6. The ship model was pulled by an electric motor whose speed could be varied and adjusted. The ship model resistance was measured precisely by using a load cell transducer. The comparison of ship resistance for each configuration with mono-hull was shown on the graph as a function of the total resistance coefficient and Froude number. The test results found that the effective drag reduction could be achieved up to 17% at Fr=0.35 with configuration S/L=0.1.

CFD simulation of fixed and variable pitch vertical axis tidal turbine

Abstract: In this paper, hydrodynamic analysis of vertical axis tidal turbine (both fixed pitch & variable pitch) is numerically analyzed. Two-dimensional numerical modeling & simulation of the unsteady flow through the blades of the turbine is performed using ANSYS CFX, hereafter CFX, which is based on a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) model. A transient simulation is done for fixed pitch and variable pitch vertical axis tidal turbine using a Shear Stress Transport turbulence (SST) scheme. Main hydrodynamic parameters like torque T, combined moment C M , coefficients of performance C P and coefficient of torque C T , etc. are investigated. The modeling and meshing of turbine rotor is performed in ICEM-CFD. Moreover, the difference in meshing schemes between fixed pitch and variable pitch is also mentioned. Mesh motion option is employed for variable pitch turbine. This article is one part of the ongoing research on turbine design and developments. The numerical simulation results are validated with well reputed analytical results performed by Edinburgh Design Ltd. The article concludes with a parametric study of turbine performance, comparison between fixed and variable pitch operation for a four-bladed turbine. It is found that for variable pitch we get maximum C P and peak power at smaller revolution per minute N and tip sped ratio λ.

Dynamics Modeling and Simulation of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles with Appendages

Abstract: To provide a simulation system platform for designing and debugging a small autonomous underwater vehicle’s (AUV) motion controller, a six-degree of freedom (6-DOF) dynamic model for AUV controlled by thruster and fins with appendages is examined. Based on the dynamic model, a simulation system for the AUV’s motion is established. The different kinds of typical motions are simulated to analyze the motion performance and the maneuverability of the AUV. In order to evaluate the influences of appendages on the motion performance of the AUV, simulations of the AUV with and without appendages are performed and compared. The results demonstrate the AUV has good maneuverability with and without appendages.

Water wave scattering by an elastic thin vertical plate submerged in finite depth water

Abstract: The problem of water wave scattering by a thin vertical elastic plate submerged in uniform finite depth water is investigated here. The boundary condition on the elastic plate is derived from the Bernoulli-Euler equation of motion satisfied by the plate. Using the Green's function technique, from this boundary condition, the normal velocity of the plate is expressed in terms of the difference between the velocity potentials (unknown) across the plate. The two ends of the plate are either clamped or free. The reflection and transmission coefficients are obtained in terms of the integrals' involving combinations of the unknown velocity potential on the two sides of the plate, which satisfy three simultaneous integral equations and are solved numerically. These coefficients are computed numerically for various values of different parameters and depicted graphically against the wave number in a number of figures.

Simplified p-norm-like constraint LMS algorithm for efficient estimation of underwater acoustic channels

Abstract: Underwater acoustic channels are recognized for being one of the most difficult propagation media due to considerable difficulties such as: multipath, ambient noise, time-frequency selective fading. The exploitation of sparsity contained in underwater acoustic channels provides a potential solution to improve the performance of underwater acoustic channel estimation. Compared with the classic l0 and l1 norm constraint LMS algorithms, the p-norm-like (lp) constraint LMS algorithm proposed in our previous investigation exhibits better sparsity exploitation performance at the presence of channel variations, as it enables the adaptability to the sparseness by tuning of p parameter. However, the decimal exponential calculation associated with the p-norm-like constraint LMS algorithm poses considerable limitations in practical application. In this paper, a simplified variant of the p-norm-like constraint LMS was proposed with the employment of Newton iteration method to approximate the decimal exponential calculation. Numerical simulations and the experimental results obtained in physical shallow water channels demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to traditional norm constraint LMS

Numerical study on the influence of boss cap fins on efficiency of controllable-pitch propeller

Abstract: Numerical simulation is investigated to disclose how propeller boss cap fins (PBCF) operate utilizing Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method. In addition, exploration of the influencing mechanism of PBCF on the open water efficiency of one controllable-pitch propeller is analyzed through the open water characteristic curves, blade surface pressure distribution and hub streamline distribution. On this basis, the influence of parameters including airfoil profile, diameter, axial position of installation and circumferential installation angle on the open water efficiency of the controllable-pitch propeller is investigated. Numerical results show: for the controllable-pitch propeller, the thrust generated is at the optimum when the radius of boss cap fins is 1.5 times of propeller hub with an optimal installation position in the axial direction, and its optimal circumferential installation position is the midpoint of the extension line of the front and back ends of two adjacent propeller roots in the front of fin root. Under these optimal parameters, the gain of open water efficiency of the controllable-pitch propeller with different advance velocity coefficients is greater than 0.01, which accounts for approximately an increase of 1%–5% of open water efficiency.

Research on the impact of CeO 2 -based solid solution metal oxide on combustion performance of diesel engine and emissions

Abstract: This paper mainly studies on the performance of high-speed diesel engines and emission reduction when the engine uses heavy oil mixed with nanometer-sized additives Ce0.9Cu0.1O2 and Ce0.9Zr0.1O2. During the test, Indiset 620 combustion analyzer made by AVL, was used to make a real-time survey on the cylinder pressure, the fuel ignition moment, and establish a relation between the change trend of temperature in cylinder and the crank angle. For the engine burning heavy oil and heavy oil mixed with additives, combustion analysis software Indicom and Concerto were used to analyze its combustion process and emission conditions. Experimental investigation shows that nano-sized complex oxide can improve the performance of diesel engine fueled with heavy oil, and reduce the emission of pollutants like NOx and CO, comparing it with the pure heavy oil. According to the consequences of this experiment, the additives improve the overall performance in the use of heavy oil.

Ultimate strength assessment of a tanker hull based on experimentally developed master curves

Abstract: A geometrically similar scaling was made from small-scale specimen to full-scale stiffened panels and then their collapse behaviour is investigated. It is considered that the stiffened panel compressive ultimate strength test was designed according to geometrical scaling laws so that the output of the test could be used as representative of the stiffened panels of the compressive zone of a tanker hull subjected to vertical bending moment. The ultimate strength of a tanker hull is analysed by a FE analysis using the experimentally developed master stress-strain curves which are obtained by the beam tension test and the compressive test of the stiffened panel, and are then compared with the result achieved by the progressive collapse method.

Damage detection of offshore jacket structures using frequency domain selective measurements

Abstract: The development of damage detection techniques for offshore jacket structures is vital to prevent catastrophic events. This paper applies a frequency response based method for the purpose of structural health monitoring. In efforts to fulfill this task, concept of the minimum rank perturbation theory has been utilized. The present article introduces a promising methodology to select frequency points effectively. To achieve this goal, modal strain energy ratio of each member was evaluated at different natural frequencies of structure in order to identify the sensitive frequency domain for damage detection. The proposed methodology opens up the possibility of much greater detection efficiency. In addition, the performance of the proposed method was evaluated in relation to multiple damages. The aforementioned points are illustrated using the numerical study of a two dimensional jacket platform, and the results proved to be satisfactory utilizing the proposed methodology.

A study on friction stir welding of 12mm thick aluminum alloy plates

Abstract: Most of the investigations regarding friction stir welding (FSW) of aluminum alloy plates have been limited to about 5 to 6 mm thick plates. In prior work conducted the various aspects concerning the process parameters and the FSW tool geometry were studied utilizing friction stir welding of 12 mm thick commercial grade aluminum alloy. Two different simple-to-manufacture tool geometries were used. The effect of varying welding parameters and dwell time of FSW tool on mechanical properties and weld quality was examined. It was observed that in order to achieve a defect free welding on such thick aluminum alloy plates, tool having trapezoidal pin geometry was suitable. Adequate tensile strength and ductility can be achieved utilizing a combination of high tool rotational speed of about 2000 r/min and low speed of welding around 28 mm/min. At very low and high dwell time the ductility of welded joints are reduced significantly.

Optimization of bow shape for a non ballast water ship

Abstract: In this research, a commercial CFD code “Fluent” was applied to optimization of bulbous bow shape for a non ballast water ships (NBS). The ship was developed at the Laboratory of the authors in Osaka Prefecture University, Japan. At first, accuracy of the CFD code was validated by comparing the CFD results with experimental results at towing tank of Osaka Prefecture University. In the optimizing process, the resistances acting on ships in calm water and in regular head waves were defined as the object function. Following features of bulbous bow shapes were considered as design parameters: volume of bulbous bow, height of its volume center, angle of bow bottom, and length of bulbous bow. When referring to the computed results given by the CFD like resistance, pressure and wave pattern made by ships in calm water and in waves, an optimal bow shape for ships was discovered by comparing the results in the series of bow shapes. In the computation on waves, the ship is in fully captured condition because shorter waves, λ/L pp <0.6, are assumed.

Interaction of water waves with small undulations on a porous bed in a two-layer ice-covered fluid

Abstract: The scattering problem involving water waves by small undulation on the porous ocean-bed in a two-layer fluid, is investigated within the framework of the two-dimensional linear water wave theory where the upper layer is covered by a thin uniform sheet of ice modeled as a thin elastic plate. In such a two-layer fluid there exist waves with two different modes, one with a lower wave number propagate along the ice-cover whilst those with a higher wave number propagate along the interface. An incident wave of a particular wave number gets reflected and transmitted over the bottom undulation into waves of both modes. Perturbation analysis in conjunction with the Fourier transform technique is used to derive the first-order corrections of reflection and transmission coefficients for both the modes due to incident waves of two different modes. One special type of bottom topography is considered as an example to evaluate the related coefficients in detail. These coefficients are depicted in graphical forms to demonstrate the transformation of wave energy between the two modes and also to illustrate the effects of the ice sheet and the porosity of the undulating bed.

Numerical simulation of motion response of an offshore observation platform in waves

Abstract: Offshore observation platforms are required to have great ability to resist waves when they are operating at sea. Investigation on the motion characteristics of the platforms in the sea can provide significant reference values during the platform design procedure. In this paper, a series of numerical simulation on the interaction of a triple-hulled offshore observation platform with different incident waves is carried out. All of the simulations are implemented utilizing our own solver naoe-FOAM-SJTU, which is based and developed on the open source tools of OpenFOAM. Duration curves of motion characteristics and loads acting on the platform are obtained, and a comparison between the results of the amplitude in different incident waves is presented. The results show that the solver is competent in the simulation of motion response of platforms in waves.

Mode transitions in vortex-induced vibrations of a flexible pipe near plane boundary

Abstract: A pipe model with a mass ratio (mass/displaced mass) of 4.30 was tested to investigate the vortex-induced vibrations of submarine pipeline spans near the seabed. The pipe model was designed as a bending stiffness-dominated beam. The gap ratios (gap to diameter ratio) at the pipe ends were 4.0, 6.0, and 8.0. The flow velocity was systematically varied in the 0–16.71 nondimensional velocity range based on the first natural frequency. The mode transition between the first and the second mode as the flow velocity increases was investigated. At various transition flow velocities, the research indicates that the peak frequencies with respect to displacement are not identical along the pipe, nor the frequencies associated with the peak of the amplitude spectra for the first four modes as well. The mode transition is associated with a continuous change in the amplitude, but there’s a jump in frequency, and a gradual process along the pipe length.

A potential flow based flight simulator for an underwater glider

Abstract: Underwater gliders are recent innovative types of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) used in ocean exploration and observation. They adjust their buoyancy to dive and to return to the ocean surface. During the change of altitude, they use the hydrodynamic forces developed by their wings to move forward. Their flights are controlled by changing the position of their centers of gravity and their buoyancy to adjust their trim and heel angles. For better flight control, the understanding of the hydrodynamic behavior and the flight mechanics of the underwater glider is necessary. A 6-DOF motion simulator is coupled with an unsteady potential flow model for this purpose. In some specific cases, the numerical study demonstrates that an inappropriate stabilizer dimension can cause counter-steering behavior. The simulator can be used to improve the automatic flight control. It can also be used for the hydrodynamic design optimization of the devices.

Multi-sensor hybrid fusion algorithm based on adaptive square-root cubature Kalman filter

Abstract: In the normal operation condition, a conventional square-root cubature Kalman filter (SRCKF) gives sufficiently good estimation results. However, if the measurements are not reliable, the SRCKF may give inaccurate results and diverges by time. This study introduces an adaptive SRCKF algorithm with the filter gain correction for the case of measurement malfunctions. By proposing a switching criterion, an optimal filter is selected from the adaptive and conventional SRCKF according to the measurement quality. A subsystem soft fault detection algorithm is built with the filter residual. Utilizing a clear subsystem fault coefficient, the faulty subsystem is isolated as a result of the system reconstruction. In order to improve the performance of the multi-sensor system, a hybrid fusion algorithm is presented based on the adaptive SRCKF. The state and error covariance matrix are also predicted by the priori fusion estimates, and are updated by the predicted and estimated information of subsystems. The proposed algorithms were applied to the vessel dynamic positioning system simulation. They were compared with normal SRCKF and local estimation weighted fusion algorithm. The simulation results show that the presented adaptive SRCKF improves the robustness of subsystem filtering, and the hybrid fusion algorithm has the better performance. The simulation verifies the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.

Numerical study on flow-induced noise for a steam stop-valve using large eddy simulation

Abstract: The noise induced by the fluctuant saturated steam flow under 250 °C in a stop-valve was numerically studied. The simulation was carried out using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and ACTRAN. The acoustic field was investigated with Lighthill’s acoustic analogy based on the properties of the flow field obtained using a large-eddy simulation that employs the LES-WALE dynamic model as the sub-grid-scale model. Firstly, the validation of mesh was well conducted, illustrating that two million elements were sufficient in this situation. Secondly, the treatment of the steam was deliberated, and conclusions indicate that when predicting the flow-induced noise of the stop-valve, the steam can be treated as incompressible gas at a low inlet velocity. Thirdly, the flow-induced noises under different inlet velocities were compared. The findings reveal it has remarkable influence on the flow-induced noises. Lastly, whether or not the heat preservation of the wall has influence on the noise was taken into account. The results show that heat preservation of the wall had little influence.

Practical solutions for reducing container ships’ waiting times at ports using simulation model

Abstract: The main challenge for container ports is the planning required for berthing container ships while docked in port. Growth of containerization is creating problems for ports and container terminals as they reach their capacity limits of various resources which increasingly leads to traffic and port congestion. Good planning and management of container terminal operations reduces waiting time for liner ships. Reducing the waiting time improves the terminal’s productivity and decreases the port difficulties. Two important keys to reducing waiting time with berth allocation are determining suitable access channel depths and increasing the number of berths which in this paper are studied and analyzed as practical solutions. Simulation based analysis is the only way to understand how various resources interact with each other and how they are affected in the berthing time of ships. We used the Enterprise Dynamics software to produce simulation models due to the complexity and nature of the problems. We further present case study for berth allocation simulation of the biggest container terminal in Iran and the optimum access channel depth and the number of berths are obtained from simulation results. The results show a significant reduction in the waiting time for container ships and can be useful for major functions in operations and development of container ship terminals.

Hydrodynamic Performance Analysis of Propeller-rudder System with the Rudder Parameters Changing

Abstract: In order to study the effects of geometric parameters of the rudder on the hydrodynamic performance of the propeller-rudder system, the surface panel method is used to build the numerical model of the steady interaction between the propeller and rudder to analyze the relevant factors. The interaction between the propeller and rudder is considered through the induced velocities, which are circumferentially averaged, so the unsteady problem is translated to steady state. An iterative calculation method is used until the hydrodynamic performance converges. Firstly, the hydrodynamic performance of the chosen propeller-rudder system is calculated, and the comparison between the calculated results and the experimental data indicates that the calculation program is reliable. Then, the variable parameters of rudder are investigated, and the calculation results show that the propeller-rudder spacing has a negative relationship with the efficiency of the propeller-rudder system, and the rudder span has an optimal match range with the propeller diameter. Futhermore, the rudder chord and thickness both have a positive correlation with the hydrodynamic performance of the propeller-rudder system.

Forensic Seismology and Boundary Element Method Application vis-à-vis ROKS Cheonan Underwater Explosion

Abstract: On March 26, 2010 an underwater explosion (UWE) led to the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan. The official Multinational Civilian-Military Joint Investigation Group (MCMJIG) report concluded that the cause of the underwater explosion was a 250 kg net explosive weight (NEW) detonation at a depth of 6–9 m from a DPRK “CHT-02D” torpedo. Kim and Gitterman (2012a) determined the NEW and seismic magnitude as 136 kg at a depth of approximately 8m and 2.04, respectively using basic hydrodynamics based on theoretical and experimental methods as well as spectral analysis and seismic methods. The purpose of this study was to clarify the cause of the UWE via more detailed methods using bubble dynamics and simulation of propellers as well as forensic seismology. Regarding the observed bubble pulse period of 0.990 s, 0.976 s and 1.030 s were found in case of a 136 NEW at a detonation depth of 8 m using the boundary element method (BEM) and 3D bubble shape simulations derived for a 136 kg NEW detonation at a depth of 8 m approximately 5 m portside from the hull centerline. Here we show through analytical equations, models and 3D bubble shape simulations that the most probable cause of this underwater explosion was a 136 kg NEW detonation at a depth of 8m attributable to a ROK littoral “land control” mine (LCM).

Dynamic simulation and tension compensation research on subsea umbilical cable laying system

Abstract: For studying the dynamic performance of subsea umbilical cable laying system and achieving the goal of cable tension and laying speed control, the rigid finite element method is used to discrete and transform the system into a rigid-flexible coupling multi-body system which consists of rigid elements and spring-damping elements. The mathematical model of subsea umbilical cable laying system kinematic chain is presented with the second order Lagrange equation in the joint coordinate system, and dynamic modeling and simulation is performed with ADAMS. The dynamic analysis is conducted assuming the following three statuses: ideal laying, practical laying under wave disturbance, and practical laying with tension compensation. Results show that motion disturbances of the laying budge under sea waves, especially with heaving and pitching, will cause relatively serious fluctuations in cable tension and laying speed. Tension compensation, i.e., active back tension torque control can restrict continuous tension increasing or decreasing effectively and rapidly, thus avoiding cable breach or buckling.

Numerical simulation of 2D and 3D sloshing waves in a regularly and randomly excited container

Abstract: In this paper, various aspects of the 2D and 3D nonlinear liquid sloshing problems in vertically excited containers have been studied numerically along with the help of a modified σ-transformation. Based on this new numerical algorithm, a numerical study on a regularly and randomly excited container in vertical direction was conducted utilizing four different cases: The first case was performed utilizing a 2D container with regular excitations. The next case examined a regularly excited 3D container with two different initial conditions for the liquid free surface, and finally, 3D container with random excitation in the vertical direction. A grid independence study was performed along with a series of validation tests. An iteration error estimation method was used to stop the iterative solver (used for solving the discretized governing equations in the computational domain) upon reaching steady state of results at each time step. In the present case, this method was found to produce quite accurate results and to be more time efficient as compared to other conventional stopping procedures for iterative solvers. The results were validated with benchmark results. The wave elevation time history, phase plane diagram and surface plots represent the wave nonlinearity during its motion.