Interaction of oblique waves with an array of long horizontal circular cylinders

Abstract

The scattering and radiations of linear oblique waves by multiple long horizontal circular cylinders submerged in water of finite depth are investigated using the multipole expansion method. Analytical expressions for the diffracted and radiated potentials are given as a linear combination of infinite multipoles. The unknown coefficients in the expressions are determined by using the addition theorem of the Bessel function and the cylinder boundary conditions. Also analytical expressions for wave forces, hydrodynamic coefficients and reflection and transmission coefficients are derived. The present analytical solution is verified through the boundary element method and applied to investigate three different cases of the interaction of oblique waves with multiple submerged horizontal circular cylinders. The results show that the number of cylinders, the arrangement and spacing between cylinders play an important role in wave forces, hydrodynamic coefficients and reflection and transmission coefficients. Some interesting and important phenomena are observed in numerical experiments. © 2007 Science in China Press.