Viscous effect on the roll motion of a rectangular structure

The viscous effect on the roll motion of a rectangular structure was investigated in a two-dimensional wave tank. The structure was used to simulate a simplified barge in the beam sea condition. The structure with a draft one-half of its height was hinged at the center of gravity and free to roll (1 degree of freedom) by waves. The dynamic characteristics of the structure were first identified, including its roll natural period. The dynamic response of the barge-like structure under wave actions was then tested with regular waves with a range of wave periods that are shorter, equal to, and longer than its roll natural period. Particle image velocimetry was used to obtain the velocity field in the vicinity of the structure. The coupled interactions between the incident waves and the structure were demonstrated by examining the vortical flow fields to elucidate the effect of viscous damping (also called the eddy making damping) to the roll motion of the structure over wave periods. For incoming waves with a wave period same as the roll natural period, the structure roll motion was, as expected, greatly reduced by the viscous-damping effect. At wave periods shorter than the roll natural period, the structure roll motion was slightly reduced by the viscous effect. However, at wave periods longer than the roll natural period, the viscous effect due to flow separation at structure corners indeed amplified the roll motion. This indicates that not only can the viscous effect damp out the roll motion, it can also amplify the roll motion.