ANSYS AQWA

for
Hydrodynamic
Analysis

Richard May
AQWA Development
ANSYS Horsham

© 2011
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 What is AQWA?

• AQWA is a modularised, fully

integrated hydrodynamics analysis
suite based around 3-D
diffraction/radiation methods.

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 History of AQWA

• Developed since 1971 (by WS Atkins)

• Owned and developed by Century Dynamics since
2001
• Century Dynamics acquired by ANSYS February 2005
• Now being integrated into the ANSYS Workbench
system

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 Some Clients

Regulatory Bodies
• ABS (US)
• Lloyds Register (UK)
• Germanischer Lloyd
• China Ship Classification Society
• RINA (Italy)

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 Some Clients

• US Navy • Friede & Goldman

• SBM Monaco • INTEC
• SBM Atlantia • Arup Energy
• Alion
• Allseas
• Atkins
• Dockwise
• AMOG
• Huismann Itrec • D2M
• VUYK • Moffatt & Nichol
• Technip • Noble Denton
• WorleyParsons • Han Padron
• GustoMSC • Krylov Institute
• REpower • VersaMarine

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 ANSYS AQWA - Capabilities

• Diffraction and Radiation including Morison elements

• Frequency domain analysis
• Stability including mooring lines
• Time domain with irregular waves
• Time domain with non-linear survival waves
• Coupled cable dynamics
• Multiple hydrodynamic interaction and articulations (up to
50 structures)
• Transfer of motions and pressures to ANSYS FE models

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 ANSYS AQWA - Applications

• Determination of RAOs
• Wave bending moments
• Splitting force calculations for semi-submersibles
• Design and analysis of mooring systems
• Time history of motions
• Determination of air gaps
• Calculation of shielding effects of ships and barriers
• Multiple-body interactions
• Coupled mooring line-structure interaction
• Cable dynamics with intermediate buoys
• TLP tether analysis

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 Modelling in AQWA - elements

• Diffracting or non-
diffracting panels

• Morison elements
– TUBE
– STUB
– DISC

• Point masses

• Mixed models

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 Modelling in AQWA - connections

• Moorings
– Linear springs
– Elastic catenaries
– Intermediate buoys
– Tethers
– Pulleys
• Fenders
• Articulations
• Stiffness matrix

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 Modelling in AQWA - environment

• Waves • Wave Spectra

– Regular / irregular – Pierson-Moskowitz
– Time history – JONSWAP
– Gaussian
• Current – User-defined
– Uniform – Cross-swell
– Profile
• New for 14.0
• Wind – Multiple simultaneous spectra
– Uniform – Interaction between spectra
– Spectra from different directions
– Time history

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 Radiation / Diffraction

• Multiple structures including

hydrodynamic interaction
• Hydrodynamic coefficients
(added mass and damping)
• RAOs
• Drift coefficients (Near / far field,
full QTF matrix)
• Shear Force / Bending Moment
• Splitting forces
• Pressure distribution for
transfer to FE
• New for v14.0
Video\Ship&Box.avi
– Linearised tube drag

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 Load Transfer

• Calculation and transfer of hydrodynamic loads to ANSYS for

structural analysis

AQWA Pressure plot

Images courtesy of Vuyk ANSYS Pressure plot

Engineering Rotterdam

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 Equilibrium and Stability

• Computes static
equilibrium position for
multiple environmental
and mooring
configurations

• Preliminary mooring
design

• Calculates static /
dynamic stability

• Video\Librium.avi

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 Frequency Domain

• Significant motions at
low frequency and/or
wave frequency

• Permits rapid analysis

using linearised
parameters of mooring
systems

• Graphs for response

spectra / RAOs & other
parameters

• Wave spreading and

2D spectra

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 Time-history

• Time-history analysis of
multiple structures with
regular or irregular waves
• Convolution of radiation
forces
• Can use full QTF matrix for
shallow water conditions
• Import of wave height time
history
• Input of forces via user-
defined dll
• Output of motions and
forces
• Graphical and animation
results

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 Time-history animation

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 Cable Dynamics

• Additional cost item for

more rigorous
simulation of mooring
line behaviour
• Provides full coupled
vessel/mooring line
analyses
• Included in all modules
except AQWA-LINE

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 Excel interface

• AQWA specific functions add-in for Excel for

data and results retrieval, processing and
report generation

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 Traditional Graphical Interface

• Automatic mesh generation

from lines plans

• Results presentation

• Graphical manipulation of
results

• Export to spreadsheet

• Function processing e.g.

Nodal RAOs
Fourier transforms

• Model checking

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 Hydrodynamics in Workbench

• Hydrodynamic Diffraction and Hydrodynamic

Time Response represent an ANSYS
Workbench implementation of the ANSYS
AQWA hydrodynamic software
• Provides a common look and feel across the
ANSYS product suite
• Provides for future interoperability with other
physical models in the ANSYS product suite,
e.g., ANSYS Mechanical and ANSYS CFD

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 The ANSYS Workbench
simulation process

ANSYS ANSYS
ANSYS
CAD Hydrodynamic Hydrodynamic
DesignModeler
Diffraction Time Response

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 Hydrodynamics in Workbench

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 Surface and Pressure Plots

• Animated Surface Plots

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 Model definition

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 Results Graphs

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 Hydrodynamics in Workbench

• What it currently provides (Release 14.0):

– Import of geometry from ANSYS DesignModeler
– Interactive data modification and editing
– Native meshing
– Diffraction/radiation analysis
– Definition of moorings, fenders and joints
– Definition of environment
– Graph plotting
– Wave surface and pressure contour plots

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 Key Differentiators

• Integrated (diffraction/radiation, time & frequency

domain, regular & irregular waves,)
• Full hydrodynamic interaction
• Ability to add .DLL with external forces (e.g. DP
system)
• Up to fifty connected structures
• Integration into ANSYS Workbench
• Modelling flexibility
• Coupled cable dynamics
• Proven over 30 years of use
• Ability to transfer pressures and motions to Finite
element analysis
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 ANSYS AQWA

The end

Thank you

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