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The mechanical and hydrodynamic characteristics of single-piece nets are key to the design and optimization of offshore aquaculture net cages. A numerical approach for offshore submerged aquaculture net materials based on the Morison equations and finite element is proposed, simulating the hydrodynamic characteristics of single-piece nets under varying parameters such as wire diameter, mesh size, and flow velocity, and simulating the impact of marine organism attachment on nets by modifying the drag coefficient. The simulation results of nets made from materials such as Copper–Zinc Alloy (Cu-Zn), Zinc–Aluminum Alloy (Zn-Al), Semi-Rigid Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) are compared, which provides a theoretical basis for optimizing design parameters and selecting materials for nets based on force conditions and hydrodynamic characteristics. The simulation results indicate that the current force on the net is positively correlated with flow velocity; the maximum displacement of the net is also positively correlated with the flow rate. Compared to other materials, the Cu-Zn net is subjected to the greatest water flow force, while the UHMWPE net experiences the greatest displacement; the larger the diameter of the netting twine, the greater the current force on the net; the mesh size is inversely related to the current force on the net. With increasing drag coefficient, both the maximum displacement of the net and the current force experiences increase, and UHMWPE material nets are more sensitive to increases in the drag coefficient, which indicates a greater impact from the attachment of marine organisms. The density and elastic modulus of the netting material affect the rate of increase in force on the net. The research results can provide a basis for further research on material selection and design of deep-sea aquaculture nets.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the scaled boundary radial point interpolation method (SBRPIM), as a novel semi-analytical scheme, to the analysis of the steady state confined seepage flows. Design/methodology/approach This method combines the advantages of the scaled boundary finite element method and the BRPIM. In this method, only boundary nodes are used, no fundamental solution of the problem is required, and as the shape functions constructed based on the RPIM satisfy the Kronecker delta function property, the boundary conditions of problems can be imposed accurately and easily. Findings Three numerical examples, including seepage flow through homogeneous and non-homogeneous soils, are analyzed in this paper. Comparing the flow net obtained by SBRPIM and other numerical methods confirms the ability of the proposed method in analyzing seepage flows. In addition, in these examples, the accuracy of the SBRPIM in modeling the velocity singularity at a sharp corner is illustrated. SBRPIM accurately models the singularity point in non-homogeneous and anisotropic soil. Originality/value SBRPIM method is a simple effective tool for analyzing various kinds of engineering problems. It is easy to implement for modeling the velocity singularity at a sharp corner. The proposed method accurately models the singularity point in non-homogeneous and anisotropic soil.