Experimental study of internal solitary wave loads on the semi-submersible platform

A prediction method, based on the Morison equation as well as Froude-Krylov formula, is presented to simulate the loads acting on the columns and caissons of the semi-submersible platform induced by Internal Solitary Wave (ISW) respectively. Combined with the experimental results, empirical formulas of the drag and inertia coefficients in Morison equation can be determined as a function of the Keulegan–Carpenter (KC) number, Reynolds number (Re) and upper layer depth h1/h respectively. The experimental and calculated results are compared. And a good agreement is observed, which proves that the present prediction method can be used for analyzing the ISW-forces on the semi-submersible platform. Moreover, the results also demonstrate the layer thickness ratio has a significant effect upon the maximum horizontal forces on the columns and caissons, but both minimum horizontal and vertical forces are scarcely affected. In addition, the incoming wave directions may also contribute greatly to the values of horizontal forces exerted on the caissons, which can be ignored in the vertical force analysis