Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Phase-Focused Breaking and Non-Breaking Wave Impact on a Fixed Offshore Platform Deck

Abstract

Extreme wave impact due to tsunamis and storm surge create large wave heights that cause destruction to coastal and offshore structures. Focused waves have been used to represent such extreme waves, and in the present study, its impact on offshore deck has been studied numerically. Numerical modeling has been carried out using open-source software reef3d, with the level set method to capture the air–water interface. Focused waves are generated by phase focusing a group of waves at a particular position and time. The nonlinearity of focused waves and its effect on the vertical impact force has been quantified for different airgaps and increasing wave heights. The wave steepness was increased to initiate phase-focused breaking in the numerical wave tank, which was then validated with the experimental results. This breaking-focused wave impact on offshore deck is then studied at different breaking locations. The results for different positionings of the deck with respect to breaker location show that the maximum horizontal impact force on the deck occurs when the plunging crest hits the deck side.