Moored elastic sheets under the action of nonlinear waves and current

This study is concerned with the interaction between nonlinear water waves and uniform current with moored, floating elastic sheets, resembling floating solar panels, floating airports, tunnels and bridges, and floating energy systems. The Green–Naghdi theory is applied for the nonlinear wave–current motion, the thin plate theory is used to determine the deformations of the elastic sheet and Hooke's law defines the effect of the mooring lines. The horizontal displacement of the floating sheet is determined by substituting the forces induced by the fluid flow and the tensions generated in the mooring lines into the equations of motion of the floating body. The resulting governing equations, boundary and matching conditions are solved in two dimensions with a finite-difference technique. The results are compared with the available numerical data. Overall, very good agreement is observed. In the model developed here, the sheet is allowed to drift due to the wave–current impact, and hence the mooring lines partially restrict both deformation and the horizontal motions of the sheet. The influence of the mooring lines on the dynamics of the floating sheet is assessed in terms of wave- and current-induced elastic deformations and surge movements of the sheet. It is demonstrated that the mooring lines attached to the leading and trailing edges of the sheet can be highly effective in mitigating the horizontal oscillations and vertical elastic deformations of the floating sheet subjected to the wave and current actions. Special attention is given to the horizontal periodic motions of the sheet, which are analysed by use of a Fourier transform technique. It is shown that the moored elastic sheet can oscillate at a frequency different from its exciting frequency as a result of restoring forces from the mooring lines, exciting resonance when both frequencies meet. Extensive study in a broad range of sheet parameters, mooring stiffnesses and wave–current conditions established the location of resonant regimes of different configurations of the moored systems. Analysis of wave reflection and transmission coefficient revealed that mooring lines of increasing stiffness intensify the wave reflection and, consequently, result in smaller energy transformation downwave.