Time-Domain Simulations of Multi-Body Systems in Deterministic Wave Trains

A growing amount of reports on heavy lift operations involving huge crane vessels prove that investigations on the motion behavior of multi-body systems are vital regarding the combined aspects of safety and economics. In this paper a method of transforming frequency-domain into time-domain results is presented. With the panel program WAMIT (WAMIT Inc.) the Response Amplitude Operators (RAO) of the motions in six degrees of freedom of the structures involved in a lift operation are calculated. The multi-bodies RAOs differ significantly from those of the single structures (without interaction effects). The consideration of hydrodynamic coupling is therefore essential for the prediction of accurate relative motions between the structures. Frequency-domain results are still important when determining operational limitations. But only with simulations in time-domain the relation between cause and reaction can be studied in detail. Results from simulations provide for example decision support for finding uncritical starting points of the lift off operation. By Fouriertransforming the RAOs the impulse-response functions are obtained. Having the impulse-response function the time-dependent system responses in arbitrary deterministic wave registrations are determined by convolution. This method allows fast and effective time-domain simulations of multi-body systems. Results are presented for a crane semisubmersible and a conventional transport barge. The influence, particularly the sensitivity of wave height and wave length on the response is shown in wave packets.