Author : Sonia Chalia

As the mariculture is expanding more to the offshore location because of the limitations of the space in near shore locations it becomes necessary to predict the behavior of the fishing cage structure when it is exposed to the more harsh environmental conditions of offshore region. The proposed model is a fully 3D dynamic model of fishing net with floaters and sinkers. The model is based on a super-element formulation where the net structure is divided into four-sided super-elements interconnected in each corner node. The model is simulated and analyzed by OrcaFlex software which is a 3D non-linear time domain finite element program capable of dealing with arbitrarily large deflections of the flexible from the initial configuration. In the present study the results analyzed are the behavior of mooring line in various waves and current conditions. Also the effect of different sinker systems is investigated.

Keywords: 3 D Flexible net, Mooring tension force, Numerical model, Oblique waves, Offshore Fishing Cage, OrcaFlex, sinker system, Waves and Current

Article published in International Journal of Current  Engineering  and Technology, Vol.4,No.4 (Aug- 2014)