Abstract: | The fluid forces resulting from wave interaction with large submerged structures may be calculated using numerical procedures based on the solution of the associated boundary-value problem. In this paper, the analysis of wave interaction with a fixed submerged object of arbitrary cross-section and infinite length using a two-dimensional boundary value formation based on linear diffraction theory is summarized. Subsequently, the application of the boundary element method to obtain a solution is presented. The numerical considerations are emphasized with particular reference to computational efficiency. Numerical results are presented in the form of dimensionless wave force plots for various structural shapes. In the case of a bottom-seated half cylinder, for which there exists a closed-form solution, comparisons are made between results generated using both boundary element and equivalent finite element approaches. In the case of a submerged cylinder, comparisons are made between boundary element derived values and experimental results. The boundary element results compare well with both the closed-form solution and the experimental values. |