floatingModelle

FloatingModelle is a term used in naval architecture and marine engineering to denote mathematical, computational, or conceptual models that describe the behavior of floating bodies in a fluid. They are used to study stability, maneuvering, and responses to waves. The models can be analytical, semi-empirical, or fully numerical, ranging from simple vertical-dynamics formulations to complex fully coupled fluid-structure simulations.

Key variables include displacement (weight), buoyancy, center of gravity, center of buoyancy, metacentric height, hull geometry, added mass, damping, and wave excitation forces. Typical equations describe equilibrium and dynamic response in surge, sway, heave, roll, pitch, and yaw. Common methods encompass linear potential-flow theory for small-amplitude waves, Morison-type drag and inertia forces for slender structures, and computational fluid dynamics or hybrid approaches for nonlinear interactions. In practice, floatingModelle are used in towing tanks and wave basins to generate experimental data that calibrate and validate computational models.

Applications span design and safety assessment of ships, offshore platforms, offshore wind turbines, and marine energy converters; stability analysis under varying loading and sea states; and motion prediction for autonomous surface vehicles. The term appears mainly in German-language technical literature and education, where it may refer to physical scale models of floating bodies or to abstract modeling frameworks that treat buoyant systems as modular components. See also naval architecture, hydrodynamics, buoyancy, added mass, and metacentric height.