STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF A SUBMERSIBLE SEA CAGE SYSTEM

This study analyses the structural performance of a submersible cage measuring 20 m in diameter and 10 m deep under extreme oceanographic conditions (current speed: 0.5 m/s and 1 m/s combined with 2, 3, 4 and 5 m high waves with a period of 7 s) (fig. 1). The analysis applied a dynamic simulation model based on finite elements. The stresses in the pipes comprising the cage and the tension in the crowfoot and mooring lines were analysed. The study found that when submerging the cage the tensions in the mooring lines and crowfoot lines decreased 32% and 59%, respectively (fig. 2). At the same time, the stresses in the pipes decreased up to 71.4%, showing that the simulated cage would support the force generated under these conditions, both submerged and floating on the surface, though with significant reductions in the risk of loss or damage to the structure when the system is submerged.

Keywords: crowfoot line; cage; submersible; mooring line; tension; pipes; stress