CSIRO scientists have created ‘rogue waves’ to find sensible and safe solutions for designing oil platforms.
According to CSIRO, 20m high rogue waves were used to smash into virtual oil and gas production platforms to compare different mooring designs.
The computer modelling project compares how different types of semi-submersible oil rigs withstand the effects of giant waves in the open ocean.
CSIRO claims rogue waves are rare but in extreme events post a high risk to shipping and offshore structures which can lead to loss of life.
“Rogue waves are huge waves that sometimes seem to come out of nowhere and, in recent years, they’ve been a major topic of scientific research,” CSIRO scientist, Murray Rudman says.
“We use a mathematical technique called Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics originally developed in astrophysics to model stars forming and galaxies exploding.”
CSIRO says using the technique on a computer, the researchers can create a realistic rogue wave and be able to see what happens when an oil rig capsizes.
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