Ansys Aqwa provides an engineering toolset for the investigation of the effects of wave, wind and current on floating and fixed offshore and marine structures, including: spars, floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) systems, semi-submersibles, tension leg platforms (TLPs), ships, renewable energy systems, and breakwater design.
Aqwa Hydrodynamic Diffraction provides an integrated environment for developing the primary hydrodynamic parameters required for undertaking complex motions and response analyses. Three-dimensional linear radiation and diffraction analysis may be undertaken with multiple bodies, taking full account of hydrodynamic interaction effects that occur between bodies. While primarily designed for floating structures, fixed bodies such as breakwaters or gravity-based structures may be included in the models. Computation of the second-order wave forces via the full quadratic transfer function matrices permits use over a wide range of water depths.
Aqwa Hydrodynamic Response provides dynamic analysis capabilities for undertaking global performance assessment of floating structures. A wide range of physical connections, such as mooring lines, fenders, and articulations, are provided to model the restraining conditions on the vessels. In addition, sea-keeping simulation may be undertaken with the inclusion of forward speed effects. Slow-drift effects and extreme-wave conditions may be investigated, and damage conditions, such as line breakage, may be included to study any transient effects that may occur.
Aqwa Hydrodynamic Diffraction and time domain Hydrodynamic Response calculations can also generate pressure and inertial loading for use in a structural analysis as part of the vessel hull design process. The results from a diffraction or time response analysis can be mapped onto an Ansys Mechanical finite element model for further structural assessment and detailed design. Since the mapping function automatically accounts for mesh differences between the hydrodynamic and finite element models, they do not have to be topologically identical.
Aqwa’s Hydrodynamic analysis systems are compatible with other Ansys tools to automate systems and solve complex analyses:
| Ansys Tool Software | Purpose |
|---|---|
|
DesignModeler SpaceClaim Discovery | Geometry import and/or creation. |
| Mechanical, Mesh | Mesh generation for hydrodynamic analysis (as an alternative to the mesh capabilities available in the Aqwa Workbench editor). |
| Mechanical, Static Structural | Mapping of hydrodynamic loads and accelerations from Aqwa to a Static Structural system, for a one-way fluid-structure interaction (1-FSI) analysis. See The Hydrodynamic Pressure Add-on. |
| Mechanical, Rigid Dynamics Analysis | To couple Aqwa’s hydrodynamic forces with Rigid Dynamics to create a more powerful simulation. This is useful for analyses with complex mechanisms, joints, or contact. For more information, see The Aqwa Co-simulation Add-on. |
| LS-DYNA MCOL (solver) | Aqwa can generate an MCOL hydrodynamic database (.mco file) for extreme event analysis such as ship grounding or collision where an explicit analysis is required. |
| optiSLang User's Guide |
To run parametric studies using parameterized inputs from the Hydrodynamic analysis system (as an alternative to the Workbench Design Point Update). For example, with geometric, wave, and mooring and connection parameters. A specific purpose for this is to run parametric studies with hydrodynamic mapping to Static Structural, where optiSLang is a requirement. For more information, see Parametric Studies in optiSLang for Hydrodynamic Pressure Mapping and Working with Parameters and Design Points. |
|
System Coupling Twin Builder | Export an Aqwa hydrodynamic model and its behavior into a standardised format for use with other software, which is not limited to Ansys products, by generating a Functional Mock-up Unit (FMU). |
| Systems Tool Kit (STK) | Aqwa can provide motion time histories as an input for Digital Mission Engineering and Systems analysis. |