Numerical Analysis of the Flotation Ring of a Gravity-Type Fish Cage

Abstract

The gravity-type fish cage is extensively applied with the increasing demand for fishery products. The flotation ring is its main load-bearing component and supports the whole cage. So it is essential to study the hydroelasticity of the flotation ring for the safety of a fish cage. An analytical method is proposed to study the elastic deformation of a simplified flotation ring subjected to water waves. The equations governing in-plane deformations are obtained according to curved beam theory, in which the modal superposition method is used to represent the in-plane deformation of an element of the ring. Then, the motion equations of the ring are built up coupled with deformation equations. The correlation between the predicted results and the experimental data is acceptable to validate the numerical modeling. Then the effect of Young’s module, radius of the ring, and wave conditions on elastic responses is discussed in terms of the prototype scale of a flotation ring. It is concluded that the deformations over the ring in the direction of waves’ propagation are the largest, and that the mooring point in the head-on direction of the waves is critical for reliability of the ring. Large deformations of the flotation ring may induce the failure of the fish cage when the storm covers it. So more attention to the hydroelasticity of the flotation ring should be paid in the design for a fish cage.