Very large floating structures, or megafloats, are huge structures designed to float on the ocean. They have been proposed for various purposes including offshore airports and water and oil storage. After the Japanese tsunami disaster in 2011, megafloats were used to store contaminated water from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant. The structures are vast: typical dimensions are 140 metres by 50 metres, or slightly larger than a football pitch. The megafloats used in Japan typically had a storage capacity of 10,000 tons of water. The stability of such structures, in particular in the presence of ocean waves, is of obvious importance. In this project we will investigate such issues via a simplified mathematical model comprising an fluid-filled elastic vessel floating on top of a layer of water. This is an interesting problem from a mathematical point of view as it combines elastomechanics in the floating structure with the hydrodynamics of the water inside the vessel and the dynamics of the water layer beneath. The analysis will require a variety of applied techniques, including asymptotics, complex variable methods, and numerical methods, and the focus can be placed on any one or more of these according to the background of the student.

Interested applicants are invited to contact Dr Mark Blyth (m.blyth@uea.ac.uk) or Dr Emilian Parau (e.parau@uea.ac.uk) to discuss an application.

This project is also open to any applicant (home, EU or Overseas) who have their own funding.  Self-funded applicants may apply to study on a part-time basis

Blyth, M. G., Parau, E. I. & Vanden-Broeck J-M. (2011) Hydroelastic waves on fluid sheets. J. Fluid Mech. 689, 541-551.

Korobkin, A. A., Parau, E. I. & Vanden-Broeck J-M. (2011) The mathematical challenges of hydroelasticity. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A, 369, 2803-2813.

Billingham, J. & King, A. C. (2000) Wave Motion. Cambridge University Press