Journal Article

Offshore Submerged Aquaculture Flow-Net Interaction Simulation: A Numerical Approach for the Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Nets Produced from Different Materials

Li, Weiqiang, Chen, Hongxing, He, Wei, Wang, Zhiyuan, Zhang, Feng, Qin, Hongling

2025

Overview

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.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Alloys / Aluminium / Aluminum / Aluminum alloys / Aquaculture / Aquaculture industry / Cages / Copper / Current forces / Deep sea / Deep water / Design / Design optimization / Design parameters / Drag coefficient / Drag coefficients / finite element analysis / Fishing / Flow nets / Flow rates / Flow velocity / flow-net interaction simulation / Gravity / Hydraulic measurements / hydrodynamic characteristics / Hydrodynamics / Mariculture / Marine organisms / Materials selection / Mathematical analysis / Mathematical models / Mechanical properties / Methods / Modulus of elasticity / Molecular weight / Nets / nets materials / Netting (materials/structures) / Netting materials / Offshore / Offshore aquaculture / Parameters / Polyethylene terephthalate / Reynolds number / Simulation / Simulation methods / Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene / Velocity / Water / Water flow / Wear resistance / Zinc / Zinc alloys / Zinc base alloys / Zinc compounds / Zinc products