This report explores recent developments in research on breaking wave impacts on offshore structures. Through a literature review, research questions are formulated to form the basis of the thesis, along with the planned approach for addressing these questions. The report begins with an overview of breaking waves, their chaotic nature, the influence of fluid-structure interaction and effects of scaling. The literature review identifies a knowledge gap regarding the influence of time-varying mass on structural response and whether wave impact characteristics can be determined through analysis in the spatio-temporal domain. The main research question is: How do hydroelastic effects influence the structure response during specific breaking wave type inter actions? To investigate this question, a two-dimensional scale experiment is carried out using a sloshing tank to generate waves and examine their impact on a plate. The behaviour is compared to a CFD model capable of computing rigid wave impacts.
The results show that for a cantilevered plate, the relative angle between the incoming wave and the plate strongly influences the magnitude of peak forces and pressures. Different wave geometries excite distinct structural responses, and frequency analysis of the plate deformation reveals a link to the wetted interaction between the wave and the plate. Plate deformation is governed by the combined effects of flexibility, aeration, and wave alignment, which interact non-linearly to determine the overall response, highlighting the complex dynamics of hydroelastic wave–structure interaction. ... Read more