Thobani Hlophe

This research examines in detail the complex nonlinear forces generated when steep waves interact with vertical cylindrical structures, such as those typically used as offshore wind turbine foundations. These interactions, particularly the nonlinear wave forces associated with the secondary load cycle, present unanswered questions about how they are triggered. Our experimental campaigns underscore the occurrence of the secondary load cycle. We also investigate how the vertical distributions of the scattering force, pressure field and wave field affect the nonlinear wave forces associated with the secondary load cycle phenomena. A phase-based harmonic separation method isolates harmonic components of the scattering force’s vertical distribution, pressure field and wave field. This approach facilitates the clear separation of individual harmonics by controlling the phase of incident waves, which offers new insights into the mechanisms of the secondary load cycle. Our findings highlight the importance of complex nonlinear wave–structure interactions in this context. In certain wave regimes, nonlinear forces are locally larger than the linear forces, highlighting the need to consider the secondary load cycle in structural design. In addition, a novel discovery emerges from our comparative analysis, whereby very high-frequency (over the fifth in harmonic and order) oscillations, strongly correlated to wave steepness, have the potential to play a role in structural fatigue. This new in-depth analysis provides a unique insight regarding the complex interplay between severe waves and typical cylindrical offshore structures, adding to our understanding of the secondary load cycle for applications related to offshore wind turbine foundations.

Accurate and reliable phase-resolved prediction of ocean surface waves is crucial for many offshore operations in ocean engineering and marine science. One important application is in optimal control of a power take-off in a wave energy converter, leading to significantly higher power production. Our interest is forecasting wave fields based on measurements obtained from multiple upwave locations in moderate seas with small directional spreading angles, as occurs along the south coast of Australia. The prediction model, based on FFTs and propagation of waves according to the linear dispersion relation, is applied to both wave groups and irregular wave fields generated in a wave basin and, additionally, to ocean waves measured with drifting wave buoys. To account for spreading, the model numerically advances linear, plane (i.e., long-crested) waves in space at an optimum offset angle equal to the underlying sea-state root mean square spreading angle. Averaging predictions from a few slightly separated measurement locations, each weighted according to its estimated variance, results in more accurate predictions than from any single location. We also assess in detail the effect of drifting buoy measurements in both long-crested and short-crested seas using synthetic wave records and show that it is possible to satisfactorily reconstruct the signal at fixed points based on the Doppler shift felt by the drifting buoy. The reconstructed signals give much better predictions compared to those completely neglecting the effect of even rather slow drift due to current.