Orca Offshore, together with ONE Simulation, has performed wave motion analysis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The work was done to investigate the effect of the sea bed on the motion characteristics of an offshore crane vessel. The 400ft vessel has to perform a heavy lift with only 60cm keel clearance. The 5m soil top layer was also included in the model.

The CFD model has been devised as an alternative to an expensive and time-consuming model test. The technology can be used thanks to the affordable computer power available today. One run nevertheless takes around 60 hours of computer time to simulate 10 wave cycles. Results are very accurate, however, and include important hydrodynamic effects to calculate the motions of any type of structure in the water.