Marine Structure Designs

(Wave Forces on Vertical Cylinder)

Definition Sketch
z

dz
d

f = f i +f d
D 2 du cd
= cm
+ D ujuj
4 dt
2
x
z=0
f i dz
f d dz
z = -d

Morison Equation
horizontal force per unit length of a vertical cylindrical pile

D 2 du cd
+ D ujuj
f = f i +f d = cm
4 dt
2
f i = inertia force per unit length of pile
f d = drag force per unit length of pile
= density of fluid (1025 kg/m3 for sea water)
D = diameter of pile
u=
du
dt

horizontal water particle velocity at the axis of the pile

= horizontal water particle acceleration at the axis of the pile

cm; cd = inertia (mass) and drag coefficient, respectively

Usage of Morison Equation

Morison's equation is valid for all ratios of pile diameter
to wave length:

D
1
<
L
20
Two problems:
Given d, H andT, which wave theory should be used?
For a particular wave condition, what are appropriate values
of cd and cm?

Drag and Inertia Coefficients

Drag coefficients to be used in Morison's equation can
only be obtained experimentally.
In theory, the value of the inertia coefficient can be
calculated (2.0 for a smooth cylinder in an ideal fluid).
However, measured values are used in practice,
particularly when drag is the dominant force.
One problem facing the user of Morison's equation is the
larger scatter in values of the inertia and drag coefficients.
There is a useful degree of correlation between the
coefficients and two flow parameters: KeuleganCarpenter number and Reynolds number.

K-C & Reynolds Number

Keulegan-Carpenter number

UmT
K =
D

Reynolds number

UmD
Re =

Um = velocity amplitude of the flow

T = period of the flow
D = diameter of pile
= kinematic viscosity (approximately 10-5 ft2/sec for sea water).

Inertia & Drag Coefficients

(API,1980)
Engineering practice is simply to assume
them constant, with the values of the drag
coefficient chosen within the range 0.6 to
1.0 and the values of the inertia coefficient
within the range 1.5 to 2.0 (API,1980)

Linear Wave Theory

wave elevation

H
= cos(kx t)
2
horizontal water particle velocity

@2
@
+g
= 0 at z = 0
@ 2
H coshk(d+z)
@z
t
u= @
=
cos(kx t)
@x
T
sinhkd
2 = gk tanhkd

Horizontal Acceleration
du
ax =
dt

Note:

u(x; z;t)

@udx @udz @u
ax =
+
+
t
|@x dt {z @z dt} | @
{z}
convective
local acceleration
acceleration
for small wave steepness

@u
@u @u
ax = u +w +
@x
@z @t
@u 22H coshk(d+z)
ax
=
sin(kx t)
2
@t
sinhkd
T

Horizontal Force & Moment

horizontal force (F)
Z
Z
F =
f i dz +
f d dz
d

= F i +F d

dimensionless
c

m
Fi =
gD 2H K i
c4

F d = d gDH 2 K d
2

moment about the mud line (M)

Z
Z
M =
(z +d)f i dz +
(z +d)f d dz
d
d
M i = (F i d) Si
M i = (F i d) Si
= M i +M d
M d = (F d d) Sd
M d = (F d d) Sd

Horizontal Force & Moment (contd.)

F =

Z
d

f i dz +

Z
d

f d dz
0 (still water level)

M =

(z +d)f i dz +

(z +d)f d dz

If the upper limit of integration is zero instead of and

linear wave theory is used, analytical expression of
Ki , Kd , Si , Sd can be obtained (SPM Eq. 7-33 ~ 7-36)

Maximum Forces & Moments

m

gD 2H K i;max
c4

F d;max = d gDH 2 K d;max

2

M i;max = F i;max d Si;max

M d;max = F d;max d Sd;max

maximum inertia force F i;max =

maximum drag force

Using Dean's stream-function theory, graphs [SPM: Fig. (7-71)

through Fig. (7-74)] have been prepared and may be used to
obtain
K i;max, K d;max, M i;max and M d;max

SPM: Fig. (7-71)

K i;max vs. d=gT 2, for H=H b = 0, 1/ 4, 1/ 2, 3/ 4 and 1.

Maximum Total Forces/Moments

maximum total force

F max = m gcdH 2D

m and m arefunctions of
maximum total moment

d
2Dd
=

gc
H
m and mMarefunctions
of
gT 2
max
m
d
d
H
of
m and m arefunctions
gT 2
nd marefunctions
of
gT 2
dH
d
cm D
2 2
=
gT
2
gT
gT
cd H
H c D
H
m
relative
wave
inertia-drag

=
2
gT
gT 2
cd H
depth
steepness
ratio index

SPM: Fig. (7-76)

Isolines of m vs. H=gT 2 and d=gT 2, for = 0:05.

Figs. (7-77) through (7-79) arefor = 0.1, 0.5 and 1.

SPM: Fig. (7-80)

Isolines of m vs. H=gT 2 and d=gT 2, for = 0:05.

Figs. (7-81) through (7-84) arefor = 0.1, 0.5 and 1.

Example Problem: SPM, p. 7127

A design wave with height H=3 m and period
T=10 s acts on a vertical circular pile with a
parameter D=0.3 m in depth d=4.5 m. Assume
that cm=2, cd= 0.7, and the density of seawater
=1025.2 kg/m3.

Find: The maximum total horizontal force and the

maximum total moment around the mud line of the
pile.

Transverse Forces (Lift Forces)

Transverse forces result from vortex or eddy
shedding on the downstream side of a pile.
Transverse forces were found to depend on the
dynamic response of the structure.
For rigid structures, transverse forces equal to the
drag force is a reasonable upper limit.
Eddies are shed at a frequency that is twice the
wave frequency

Design Estimates of Lift Force

SPMs recommendation for design lift force:

F L = F L ;max cos(2)
c

= L gDH 2 K d;max cos(2)

2
cL = empirical lift coefficient (analogous to the drag coefficient)
maximum horizontal velocity (velocity amplitude)
T averaged over the depth

umax
K =
D

1
umax = (umax)bottom +(umax)swl
2

Example Problem: SPM, p. 7133

A design wave with height H=3 m and period T=10
s acts on a vertical circular pile with a parameter
D=0.3 m in depth d=4.5 m. Assume that cm=2, cd=
0.7, and the density of seawater =1025.2 kg/m3.

Find: The maximum transverse (lift) force acting

on the pile and the approximate time variation of
the transverse force assuming that Airy theory
adequately predicts the velocity field. Also
estimate the maximum total force.