New formulation of the finite depth free surface Green function

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new formulation for the finite depth free surface Green function that improves convergence and simplifies computation, enabling more accurate and straightforward evaluation of wave effects on floating and submerged bodies.

Contribution

The study reformulates the Green function using five image sources and a smooth wave integral, ensuring convergence and easier numerical evaluation compared to previous methods.

Findings

Green function evaluation is now straightforward and convergent.

The new method accurately computes linear wave loads on floating bodies.

Improved wave integral stability enhances practical applications.

Abstract

For a pulsating free surface source in a three-dimensional finite depth fluid domain, the Green function of the source presented by John [F. John, On the motion of floating bodies II. Simple harmonic motions, Communs. Pure Appl. Math. 3 (1950) 45-101] is superposed as the Rankine source potential, an image source potential and a wave integral in the infinite domain $(0, \infty)$. When the source point together with a field point is on the free surface, John's integral and its gradient are not convergent since the integration $\int^\infty_\kappa$ of the corresponding integrands does not tend to zero in a uniform manner as $\kappa$ tends to $\infty$. Thus evaluation of the Green function is not based on direct integration of the wave integral but is obtained by approximation expansions in earlier investigations. In the present study, five images of the source with respect to the free surface mirror and the water bed mirror in relation to the image method are employed to reformulate the wave integral. Therefore the free surface Green function of the source is decomposed into the Rankine potential, the five image source potentials and a new wave integral, of which the integrand is approximated by a smooth and rapidly decaying function. The gradient of the Green function is further formulated so that the same integration stability with the wave integral is demonstrated. The significance of the present research is that the improved wave integration of the Green function and its gradient becomes convergent. Therefore evaluation of the Green function is obtained through the integration of the integrand in a straightforward manner. The application of the scheme to a floating body or a submerged body motion in regular waves shows that the approximation is sufficiently accurate to compute linear wave loads in practice.