Documentation center overview

Cantilever beam with force

Summary: A basic example showing forces on a single solid beam

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Assemble a model with different component groups
Specify properties of TRUSS and BEAM elements
Establish winch as node decorator
Add built-in shape to node
Verify model input through static analysis
Execute static analysis
Execute multiple non-linear dynamic analyses
Copy results from AquaView to Excel

In this case study you will establish a system consisting of wire, beam, and winch. The wire is winching the beam from air through the water surface. You are going to assess the forces in the wire for two combinations of environmental loads (also referred to as load conditions). Before dynamic analysis is conducted, the weight of the system should be controlled through a static analysis.

Aquaculture cage and mooring

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Duplicate model components
Model mooring components
Mirror model components
Model and specify properties of buoys
Load bathymetric bottom (terrain)
Snap nodes to terrain
Apply the component library
Execute static analysis
Execute multiple non-linear dynamic analyses
Have knowledge about system files
Assess maximum forces in mooring components from analyses

Introduction

In this case study, you are to complete a model of an aquaculture facility and conduct a mooring analysis. You will first be introduced to the main components of the facility, then complete the model by adding mooring components and terrain. Through the snap function, the bottom chain is to be lowered to the bottom providing realistic representation of interaction between mooring components and the seabed.

Simplified aquaculture cage and mooring

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Apply additional modeling intents, as draw circle, extrude elements
Establish routines for transferring experience and information from one analysis case to the next
Understand, and evaluate strategies, for choosing degree of model details

Introduction

You are to model the same aquaculture facility as in CaseStudy03 in a simplified manner. Through static analysis selected key parameters, as mooring rope tension and buoyancy of the floating collar, should be checked. These parameters are to be compared to corresponding figures from the previous case study, in order to ensure these correspond.

Roller

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Understand the fundamentals of a roller in AquaSim
Specify roller parameters
Run static analysis with roller

Introduction

In this case study you will establish a system with a roller. Attached to the roller is a rope with mass. Due to gravitational forces, the roller will slide along the cable. Further, you are going to assess the forces in the cable when adjusting the key-parameters for a roller.

Bottom contact: rope

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Model a bottom weight placed on the seabed attached to a mooring rope
The fundamentals of Bottom parameters in the Export menu
Basics of spring type (Offloaded, Buoy)
Evaluate the displacement of bottom weight in AquaView

Video tutorial

Spring displaced

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Understand the fundamentals of the spring type Displaced
Define appropriate input parameters for the Displaced spring
Run static and dynamic analysis with Displaced spring

Component contact: Falling box

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Model a system with a falling object on a net
Establish a Component contact-table between two components
Evaluate the forces that arise due to contact in AquaView

Video tutorial

Associated files

RAO and Drift coefficients

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Understand fundamentals of Response Amplitude Operators (RAO) in AquaSim
Understand fundamentals of Drift coefficients in AquaSim
Specify relevant parameters
Run analysis with the utilization of RAO and Drift coefficients

Associated files

Bottom contact: Feces

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Model an element that represents fish feces falling to the seabed
Understand the possibility to import terrain and apply bottom contact
Know parameters in bottom contact and dynamic friction

Associated files

Wind

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Understand the opportunities that are for wind loads in AquaSim
Specify wind load parameters
Run analysis that includes loads from wind

Associated files

Moving Bracket Floating Collar

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be presented to:

How a bracket in an aquacultural floating collar can be modelled in AquaSim
How to account for motion of the bracket along floater pipes

Associated files

Roller Sliding Weight

Summary:

Learning objectives

The aim of this case study is to demonstrate:

How to model a Roller that is vertically oriented
Problem-solving of convergence difficulties
Stepping factor and Decrease stepping

For basic understanding of Roller and parameters, reference is also made to the tutorial Roller found on our webpage.

Associated files

Hexagonal Masks

Summary:

Learning objectives

In this case study you are presented to:

The fundamentals of hexagonal shaped masks
How to generate hexagonal masks in a model
The input parameters
Available result options in the post processing tool AquaView

Associated files

Eigenperiods

Summary:

Introduction

This tutorial presents the variety of possibilities to investigate resonant motions caused by eigen periods in AquaSim. You will be introduced to how these periods can be calculated explicitly, and how they can be investigated in broader sense. Eigen periods are also commonly referred to as natural periods, or eigen frequencies. In this tutorial, we apply the term ‘eigen period’.

These types of periods are important in the sense of understanding the response of structures. It is determined by the distribution of mass and stiffness. Resonant motions can cause significant response in the structure, and in worst case failure of structural integrity.

Buckling

Summary:

Introduction

This tutorial presents how buckling can be investigated in AquaSim.

Buckling is a phenomenon that commonly appear in slender structures, or thin plates that is exposed to compressional forces. It can materialize as a rapid change in the shape, such as bulging or wrinkling. Buckling may arise from loads which in themselves are not critical for the structural integrity, but the subsequent deformations may lead to unfavorable load transfer which in turn can cause the load bearing structural part to lose its load capacity.

Lice Skirt

Summary:

Learning objectives

In this tutorial, you will be introduced to:

Basic concept of lice skirt
Lice skirt parameters in AquaSim
Key result parameter in AquaView

Introduction

Salmon lice is a small parasite that is found in marine environment. It is a challenge for the aquaculture industry as it damages the salmon in terms of wounds and infections. A wide range of methods and devices has been developed through the time, to reduce the risk of infections in at the aquaculture facilities – lice skirts are one of them.

Nonlinear Membrane

Summary:

Introduction

This tutorial presents the possibility to introduce nonlinear relation between force and strain in membranes in AquaSim.

Linear-elastic materials are the basis for AquaSim. However, nonlinear relations between force and strain can be introduced to component types such as membranes. Nonlinear elastic elements do not comply with Hooke’s law in such way that there is a linear relation between force and strain.

Having completed this tutorial, you will be able to:

Wind turbines

Summary:

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this tutorial, you will have knowledge in:

How to model wind turbines in AquaSim
Basic concepts for wind turbines
How to run a dynamic analysis with a wind turbine

Introduction

This tutorial proposes a modelling- and analysis culture for wind turbines in AquaSim, where only the turbine is created first for validation of input parameters, then to implement this to a full coupled model, and the conduct analyses.

Bathymetry and terrain data

Summary: How to import bathymetry from various sources and use them to augment the analysis

Tension relief and shock absorbers

Summary: Learn how to model tension relief devices and shock absorbers using non-linear behaviour and bar dampners

Tarpaulin closed compartment

Summary: Learn how to establish and analyse static equilibrium of a hemispherical shaped tarpaulin attached to a floater

Wave loads on lice skirt

Summary: This tutorial describes how wave loads on impermeable net, such as lice skirts, are defined and analysed in AquaSim

Hydrodynamic analysis using “MacCamy-Fuchs”

Summary: This tutorial describes hydrodynamic analysis in AquaSim using MacCamy-Fuchs

Wave period consideration in added mass and damping

Summary: The purpose of this tutorial is to provide an introduction for how to adjust the wave period for the numerical calculation of added mass and hydrodynamic damping in AquaSim for analyses with irregular waves

Land-based Water Tank

Summary:

Prerequisites

It is assumed that the user is familiar with the basic principles of modelling and specifying material parameters in AquaEdit, as well as conducting analyses. If you are looking for an introduction to AquaSim we advise you to start with the Basic program tutorials.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Model a rigid, water-filled tank structure placed on land (on shore)
Apply internal hydrostatic pressure from the contained water volume
Define appropriate boundary conditions representing a land-based (fixed) support
Understand how the absence of external buoyancy affects the load model compared to submerged structures
Execute a static analysis and evaluate structural response in AquaView.

Introduction

This tutorial describes how to model and analyze a water-filled tank located on land. Unlike submerged or floating aquaculture structures, a land-based tank is not subject to external buoyancy or environmental waves- and current loads. Instead, the dominant load is the internal hydrostatic pressure from the water column contained within the tank, combined with the self-weight of the structure.

Predator net

Summary:

Introduction

Prerequisites

Familiarity with the Component contact: Falling box (Aquastructures, 2026a) tutorial is recommended, as the present tutorial builds on the same contact principles.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Model a predator net surrounding an aquaculture fish cage
Establish a Component contact-table between the predator net and the fish cage net
Understand how contact forces are transferred between two flexible net structures
Define appropriate contact parameters including stiffness, damping, and contact distance
Execute a dynamic analysis involving component contact
Evaluate contact forces and structural response in AquaView

Figure 1

Analysis of Cable with Buoyancy Segments

Summary:

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this case study, you will be able to:

Model a cable with bending stiffness in AquaSim, including definition of structural and hydrodynamic properties for segments with and without buoyancy elements.
Apply prescribed displacements and rotations to position the cable correctly and establish a realistic layout prior to dynamic analysis.
Define and apply an RAO to a vessel attachment node to represent vessel motions in a seaway.
Defining bottom contact springs on nodes with seabed-contact and understanding how spring stiffness affects convergence.
Perform a static equilibrium analysis to verify pretension, cable geometry, and Von Mises stress in the layout condition.
Run dynamic analyses in both regular and irregular seas, including the specification of wave and current environmental data.
Post-process and interpret results including axial forces, vertical displacements, and curvature along the cable length and as time series at selected locations.

Introduction

Offshore cables and risers are often equipped with buoyancy elements to control their configuration and dynamic behavior in water. Accurate modelling of such systems requires consideration of structural stiffness, hydrodynamic loads, seabed interactions and vessel motion. Figure 1 illustrates a typical cable configuration attached to a vessel, with buoyancy segments. The cable is subject to waves and current, while interaction with the seabed influences the overall geometry and tension distribution.

AquaHarmony

Summary:

Learning Objectives

In this tutorial you will be introduced to:

The fundamentals of AquaHarmony
Input parameters to current data filtering
View results and diagrams

Prerequisites

The tutorial presents a simple case study with the purpose of demonstrating functionality in AquaSim.

It is assumed that the user is familiar with the basic principles of modelling and specifying material parameters in AquaEdit, as well as conducting analyses. If you are looking for an introduction to AquaSim we advise you to start with the Basic program tutorials.

PostProc

Summary:

Prerequisites

The tutorial presents a simple case study with the purpose of demonstrating functionality in AquaSim.

It is assumed that the user is familiar with the basic principles of modelling and specifying material parameters in AquaEdit, as well as conducting analyses. If you are looking for an introduction to AquaSim we advise you to start with the Basic program tutorials.

Documentation center