An analysis of second-order wave forces on floating bodies by using a higher-order boundary element method

Abstract

The wave diffraction and radiation problem is studied numerically by using a higher-order boundary element method. The convergence of the higher-order boundary element method is tested systematically for bodies of different shapes. For the second-order force, particular attention is paid to the contribution of the second-order potential, following the line of Molin's approach. For numerical evaluation, the free surface is divided into three subregions; inner, intermediate and outer ones. In the inner region, the integral is evaluated numerically by using higher-order boundary elements. In the intermediate region, semi-analytic form is constructed with the help of eigen functions. In the outer domain, the analytic solution is available. This subdivision scheme reduces the numerical burden remarkably. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.