One of the more challenging topics in offshore hydrodynamics remains the a-priori prediction of the roll response in irregular waves of a ship-shaped floating unit. It requires insight in how roll damping is generated by the bilge keels in particular. Such can be obtained through dedicated model tests measuring the bilge keel loads, and this paper presents several findings derived from FPSO sea keeping tests at model scale 1:70. Since the most practical and perhaps only feasible sea keeping prediction tool for engineering studies remains the well developed 3D potential flow, the global roll damping coefficients and the time varying bilge keel loads are studied based on fluid velocities calculated by the potential flow method. The findings of this paper enhance the understanding of roll damping and bilge keel loads.

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