Development of a computational model to assess wave overtopping performance of floating structures using smoothed particle hydrodynamics

Wave overtopping in foul weather presents a hazard to sailors and offshore workers. Predicting the overtopping performance of a ship or structure is important to safety and performance but existing methods are either low accuracy or computationally expensive, and every design must be analysed separately. Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) may be used in the creation of less computationally expensive numerical simulations for overtopping analysis. This paper extends upon the basic SPH method to incorporate wave generation and rigid body motion, enabling the wave overtopping performance of fixed and floating structures to be determined in two dimensions. This extended model was validated against experimental and other computational and SPH results in literature, then used to investigate the overtopping performance of several floating objects of varying cross-section shape in regular waves. The validation experiments demonstrated that the results are both physically accurate and stable, as long as suitable model parameters are applied. The final overtopping investigation evidenced that overtopping increases when motions are greater and is decreased by the presence of a flared upper side which deflects water. Notably, overtopping increases with wave height, and reaches a maximum at a certain shape-dependent wave period. Overall, this approach offers the basis for fast and accurate prediction of wave overtopping early in the ship and offshore structure design process.