Reduction in wave drift force on marine structures by cloaking phenomenon

This study aims to examine the reduction in the wave drift force acting on a floating structure, such as an offshore platform, by appropriate positioning of small floating bodies around the floating structure. To investigate the cloaking phenomenon on 3D multiple floating bodies, a numerical model using a combination of wave interaction theory and the higher-order boundary element method is introduced. Computed results show that reduction in the wave drift force on the offshore structure is realized using optimized parameters of the surrounding floating bodies. Numerical computations were highly accurate and benefited from considering the interactions between multi-bodies, and the optimized parameters of the surrounding bodies were different in relation to the various wave frequencies. Results show that the cloaking phenomenon can reduce the wave drift force on the central structure and on the entire array of floating bodies.