Highly Accurate Experimental Heave Decay Tests with a Floating Sphere: A Public Benchmark Dataset for Model Validation of Fluid–Structure Interaction

Morten Bech Kramer, Jacob Andersen, Sarah Thomas, Flemming Buus Bendixen, Harry Bingham, Robert Read, Nikolaj Holk, Edward Ransley, Scott Brown, Yi-Hsiang Yu, Thanh Toan Tran, Josh Davidson, Csaba Horvath, Carl-Erik Janson, Kim Nielsen and Claes Eskilsson
Additional contact information
Morten Bech Kramer: Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University (AAU), Thomas Mann Vej 23, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Jacob Andersen: Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University (AAU), Thomas Mann Vej 23, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Sarah Thomas: Floating Power Plant (FPP), Park Allé 382, 2625 Vallensbæk, Denmark
Flemming Buus Bendixen: Sintex, Jyllandsvej 14, 9500 Hobro, Denmark
Harry Bingham: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Nils Koppels Allé, Building 403, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
Robert Read: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Nils Koppels Allé, Building 403, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
Nikolaj Holk: Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University (AAU), Thomas Mann Vej 23, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Edward Ransley: School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, University of Plymouth (UoP), Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
Scott Brown: School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, University of Plymouth (UoP), Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
Yi-Hsiang Yu: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Thanh Toan Tran: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Josh Davidson: Department of Fluid Mechanics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
Csaba Horvath: Department of Fluid Mechanics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
Carl-Erik Janson: Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology (CTH), 40482 Gothenburg, Sweden
Kim Nielsen: Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University (AAU), Thomas Mann Vej 23, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Claes Eskilsson: Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University (AAU), Thomas Mann Vej 23, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-36

Abstract: Highly accurate and precise heave decay tests on a sphere with a diameter of 300 mm were completed in a meticulously designed test setup in the wave basin in the Ocean and Coastal Engineering Laboratory at Aalborg University, Denmark. The tests were dedicated to providing a rigorous benchmark dataset for numerical model validation. The sphere was ballasted to half submergence, thereby floating with the waterline at the equator when at rest in calm water. Heave decay tests were conducted, wherein the sphere was held stationary and dropped from three drop heights: a small drop height, which can be considered a linear case, a moderately nonlinear case, and a highly nonlinear case with a drop height from a position where the whole sphere was initially above the water. The precision of the heave decay time series was calculated from random and systematic standard uncertainties. At a 95% confidence level, uncertainties were found to be very low—on average only about 0.3% of the respective drop heights. Physical parameters of the test setup and associated uncertainties were quantified. A test case was formulated that closely represents the physical tests, enabling the reader to do his/her own numerical tests. The paper includes a comparison of the physical test results to the results from several independent numerical models based on linear potential flow, fully nonlinear potential flow, and the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. A high correlation between physical and numerical test results is shown. The physical test results are very suitable for numerical model validation and are public as a benchmark dataset.

Keywords: physical tests; sphere; benchmark dataset; heave decay; wave energy converters; linear potential flow; fully nonlinear potential flow; CFD; RANS; fluid–structure interaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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