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Biofouling is an inevitable problem in marine aquaculture and it is prone to cause many negative effects on the hydrodynamic behavior of the aquaculture facility. In this study, the dominant biofouling on the netting of fish farms in the Yellow Sea of China was determined by field sampling. Plane nets with various levels of biofouling were obtained by submerging nets at different depths and for different durations. Drag acting on the biofouled nets in currents were investigated using laboratory experiment. The results indicate that drag acting on the net increases with increasing level of biofouling. Compared to the clean net, the accumulation of biofouling can lead to over 10 times more hydrodynamic load on nets. Flow fields around the biofouled nets were simulated using a porous-media fluid model which was validated by corresponding laboratory experiment. As the level of biofouling increases, the flow velocity downstream from the net decreases continuously. The net with the greatest level of biofouling produces the most serious shielding effect with 21.4% reduction in flow velocity. Using the proposed empirical equations, both the drag on and flow velocity downstream from a hydroid-fouled net can be predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, waves propagating through a square array of 16 net cages with different levels of biofouling are numerically studied using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. A porous-media fluid model is adopted to simulate both clean and biofouled netting of a cage array in waves. A numerical wave tank is built, and the oscillating-boundary method is adopted to generate waves. The flow motion is solved by the Navier-Stokes equations, and the free water surface is captured using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. The numerical model is validated by comparing the numerical data with corresponding experimental measurements of a net-cage model with clean netting. To analyze wave attenuation, a numerical analysis of wave elevation both inside and around the cage arrays is presented, which considers the effect of biofouling. Based on the results of the present study, the effect of biofouling on wave elevation is noticeable; the damping effect of the cage array increases with increasing level of biofouling. Furthermore, the incident angle of waves has a noticeable effect on the wave field inside and around the cage array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, waves propagating through a square array of 16 net cages with different levels of biofouling are numerically studied using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. A porous-media fluid model is adopted to simulate both clean and biofouled netting of a cage array in waves. A numerical wave tank is built, and the oscillating-boundary method is adopted to generate waves. The flow motion is solved by the Navier-Stokes equations, and the free water surface is captured using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. The numerical model is validated by comparing the numerical data with corresponding experimental measurements of a net-cage model with clean netting. To analyze wave attenuation, a numerical analysis of wave elevation both inside and around the cage arrays is presented, which considers the effect of biofouling. Based on the results of the present study, the effect of biofouling on wave elevation is noticeable; the damping effect of the cage array increases with increasing level of biofouling. Furthermore, the incident angle of waves has a noticeable effect on the wave field inside and around the cage array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growth of global population, the demand for seafood has been increasing. Aquaculture as a sustainable industry provides a new direction to satisfy the rising demand for seafood. However, typhoons, a common disaster in coastal areas, can cause massive waves that can threaten the safety of aquaculture facilities. Therefore, studying the facilities' failure probability under typhoon waves with different return periods is crucial. The example of offshore high-density polyethylene net cages in the seas near Guishan Island, Zhuhai, China, was examined in this study. The wave conditions for different return periods for these seas were predicted using the SWAN+ADCIRC model and the local wave statistics for the last 30 years. Based on the prediction results, the hydrodynamic loads and stresses of the primary cage structure (floating collar, nets, and mooring lines) in typhoon waves at different return periods were calculated using the lumped-mass and finite element methods. Meanwhile, the failure probability of the cage components was analyzed based on the Monte Carlo method. According to the failure probability and cost of different components, the suitable size of the each of the cage components in the representative seas was studied. This study affords a reference for the design of the cage and improve the aquaculture insurance. • Relation between typhoon waves and failure probability of HDPE net cage components. • SWAN+ADICRC model combined with local hydrographic data to predict typhoon waves. • Lumped-mass and finite element methods for hydrodynamic loads on components. • Quantitative response relationship established using Monte Carlo method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravity-type fish cages are playing an increasingly important role in fishery aquaculture. As the main load-bearing component of gravity-type fish cages, the floating collar supports the whole cage and undergoes large deformations. In this paper, a numerical method is developed to study the motions and elastic deformations of an HDPE floating collar in waves. The governing equations of motions are established by Newton׳s second law, and those governing the deformations are obtained according to the curved beam theory and the modal superposition method. Damping of the elastic deformations is introduced and analysed in detail to improve the numerical model. To validate the numerical model, a series of physical model tests are conducted. Good agreement between the numerical and experimental data is obtained. The numerical results indicate that the in-plane and out-of-plane deformations calculated using the first four modes yield satisfactory precision. The positions of the maximum deformations in different wave propagation directions and the effect of the forms of the mooring line arrangement have also been investigated. The numerical results show that the four-point-mooring cage is more reliable than the single-point-mooring cage. The endpoints of the diameters that are parallel or perpendicular to the wave direction have the largest deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vessel-shaped floating aquaculture platform has numerous advantages over traditional high-density polyethylene gravity cages. Combined with a single-point mooring system, the unique structural form of the vessel shape can significantly reduce the environmental loads transmitted from the bow. This study used potential flow theory and dynamic composite cable theory to simulate the hydrodynamic responses of a single-point moored vessel-shaped floating aquaculture platform in waves. The motion response, mooring force response, and reaction force of the nets were simulated in regular waves and compared with experimental values. The numerical and experimental results agree well. After the validation, the response amplitude operators of the floating frames of the platform were calculated and analyzed in the frequency domain. Then, time-domain calculations were carried out to investigate the hydrodynamic characteristics of the platform. The results show that the heave and pitch responses of the front frame are significantly higher than those of the rear frames of the same platform. The increase in the number of floating frames decreases the motion responses and increases the mooring force response of the platform. The X and Z components of the hinge joint force between the floating front frames are significantly higher than those between the rear frames. Similarly, the reaction force of the nets of the floating front frame is higher than that of the rear frames under the same wave conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Interaction between the flow and net cages is simulated using an iterative scheme. [•] Flow through a net cage is studied considering the fluid–structure interaction. [•] Application of the present numerical approach to multiple net cages is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model is established to simulate the flow field around fishing plane nets in a current. The realizable k–ε turbulence model was chosen to describe the flow, and the governing equations are solved by using the finite volume method. In this model, the net is modeled using the porous media model. The unknown porous coefficients are determined from the hydrodynamic forces on the net and from the flow velocities and the attack angles using the least squares method. In order to validate the numerical model, the numerical results were compared with the data obtained from two physical model tests. The comparisons show that the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data. This numerical model is applicable for the simulation of the flow field around a fishing net. Using the proposed method, this paper presents the flow field around a plane net with different plane net inclination angles, plane net heights, spacing distances between two plane nets and plane net numbers. This study provides information about the flow field around the fishing net cage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A numerical model of box-shaped net cage is built based on the lumped mass method and the principle of rigid body kinematics. To validate the numerical model, a series of physical model tests are conducted in the wave flume. The numerical results agree well with the data obtained from physical model test. The mooring line force and motion of a box-shaped net are simulated in pure waves and steady current by numerical model and physical experiments. In order to analyze the effect of cage shape on dynamic responses, net cages with a box and column shape are simulated and compared in pure waves and current. The results indicate that the net cage with column shape is more stable and reserve more breeding volume than that with box shape in waves and current action. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model is established to simulate the flow field inside and around the gravity cages in a current. The realizable k–ɛ turbulence model was chosen to describe the flow, and the governing equations are solved by using the finite volume method. In the numerical model the cylindrical cage is divided into 16 plane nets around the circumference and a bottom net, and the net is modeled using the porous media model. The unknown porous coefficients are determined from the hydrodynamic force on the net under different flow velocities and attack angles using the least squares method. In order to validate the numerical model, the numerical results of the plane nets were compared with the data obtained from two physical model tests. The comparisons show that the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data. Using the present model, this paper presents the flow field inside and around the gravity cages with different spacing distances and cage numbers. This study provides information about the flow field inside and around the fishing net cages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We conducted experiments and numerical simulations to examine the hydrodynamic characteristics of plane nets in waves. The experiments showed that the effect of K c number (defined in Eq. (3)) on the drag coefficient is insignificant in waves and that the inertia force on the net is much smaller compared to the drag force. We used our experimental results to develop a numerical model to simulate the dynamic behavior of fishing nets in waves. We then compared the simulated and experimental results to evaluate the validity of the numerical model. A comparison of the model and experimental results revealed that the numerical model effectively simulated the hydrodynamic behavior of fishing net in waves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent work in the area of open-ocean aquaculture-system dynamics has focused either on the response of fish cages in waves or the steady drag response from ocean currents, not on them combined. In reality, however, the forces bearing on these open-ocean structures are a nonlinear, multidirectional combination of both waves and current profiles. In this paper, a numerical model has been developed to simulate the dynamic response of the gravity cage to waves combined with currents. When current flows are combined with regular waves, gravity-cage motion response (including heave, surge, and pitch) and mooring-line forces have been calculated. To examine the validity of simulated results, a series of physical model tests have been carried out. The results of our numerical simulation are all in close agreement with the experimental data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In our previous research, the hydrodynamic behavior of a two-dimensional (2D) plane fishing net in current was simulated. Based on the research, a model of a three-dimensional (3D) net is established by using the lumped mass method. To verify the validity of the numerical model, model test results by other authors are cited and compared with the numerical results. The simulated results are in good agreement with experimental ones. In this paper, the 3D net model is applied to investigate the effects of structure size ratio (RDH) and mesh type on the 3D net deformation of the gravity cage in current. The numerical results indicate that the decrease of RDH is practically feasible in improving the cage net deformation. With a sinker system the net deformation with diamond mesh is greater than that with square mesh. When the bottom-collar sinker system is applied, with an increase in current velocity, the net deformation with diamond mesh is less than with square mesh. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the hydrodynamic behavior of the gravity cage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to investigate the shape and tension distribution of fishing nets in current. A numerical model is developed, based on lumped mass method to simplify the net. The motion equation is set up for each lumped mass. The Runge–Kutta–Verner fifth-order and sixth-order method is used to solve these simultaneous equations, and then the displacement and tension of each lumped mass are obtained. In order to verify the validity of the numerical method, model tests have been carried out. The results by the numerical simulation agree well with the experimental data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on the lumped-mass method and rigid-body kinematics theory, a mathematical model of a gravity cage system attacked by irregular waves is developed to simulate the hydrodynamic response of cage system, including the maximum tension of mooring lines and the motion of float collar. The normalized response amplitudes (response amplitude operators) are calculated for the cage motion response in heave and surge, and the mooring line tension response, in regular waves. In addition, a statistical approach is taken to determine the motion and tension transfer functions in irregular waves. In order to validate the numerical model of a gravity cage attacked by irregular waves, numerical predictions have been compared with the experimental observations in the time and frequency domain. The effect of wave incident angle on the float collar motion, mooring line tension and net volume reduction of the gravity cage system in irregular waves is also investigated. The results show that at high frequencies, the cage system has no significant heave motion. It tends to contour itself to longer waves. The variation amplitude of mooring line forces decreases as the wave frequency increases. With the increasing of wave incident angle, the horizontal displacement of the float collar increases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the present work, the hydrodynamic characteristics of full-scale rectangular otter board were studied by numerical simulation, including the effects of aspect ratios (AR), flow distribution around the otter board, induced velocity, induced angle of attack (AOA), effective AOA and induced drag coefficient. It was demonstrated that the otter board had a critical AOA of 40° (when the stall appeared) and induced AOA of 3~10°. The maximum induced drag coefficient was 0.185, which is a great contribution to the total drag coefficient. The otter board exhibited better performance when the AR was set to 0.5, and higher AR had a smaller critical AOA (the stall happened earlier). The maximum lift coefficient decreased with an increasing AR, while the maximum lift-to-drag ratio increased. The induced drag coefficients showed similar trends across ARs, initially rising with an increase of the AOA, and then dropping. The flow distribution around the otter board showed that the wing-tip vortex was fully developed at the AOA of 40°, and the AR can affect the development of the wing-tip vortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fluid flow uniformity is an important index in many research fields including artificial environment in the room. In order to facilitate quantifying the multi-section flow uniformity directly by simulation results and to simplify the computation process, a correlation based on area-weighted average velocities and mass-weighted average velocities is proposed in this paper. To test the proposed approach to quantifying flow uniformity, the correlation is applied in two studies – one based on assumed velocity distribution, another based on the simulated velocity distribution – in comparison with two existing formulae from prior studies. The results show that the evaluation results of the proposed correlation are in complete agreement with that of the two formulae from prior studies in the overall trend. The correlation may be used in a wide range of contexts without strict requirement for uniformity to quantify the fluid uniformity in a relatively simple manner. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]