HYDRODYNAMIC FORCE CORRECTIONS FOR MODEL TESTS IN A NARROW WAVE TANK

During physical model tests of offshore structures in narrow wave tank s, wave reflections from the tank walls may substantially affect the h ydrodynamic pressures and forces on the structure when compared with t he values that would be experienced in the open sea. A number of recen t papers have given theoretical models for the scattering and radiatio n of waves by specific bodies in a narrow wave tank, and this body of work gives valuable insight into tank confinement effects. The questio n arises: ''Can the open sea characteristics be deduced solely from me asurements of the wave field made in the tank, and without resort to d etailed numerical calculations for the particular structure concerned? '' This question is addressed in the present work in which a method is presented for constructing the open-sea scattered wave field solely f rom knowledge of the wave field in a narrow tank. Here the method is u sed to correct the mean drift force on a vertical, circular cylinder.