Finite element modeling of elastic deformations of a floating fish cage collar under regular and irregular waves

In the open sea, floating fish cage collars made of high-density polyethylene may undergo great deformations due to strong waves. In this study, we propose a numerical model based on the finite element method for modeling collar deformations, which we verify by comparing the calculated results with previously reported data. We then use the finite element model to simulate the elastic deformations of a floating fish cage collar under regular and irregular waves, where we analyze the effects of the wave height and wave period. The calculated results indicate that the deformation of the floating collar is much greater under irregular waves compared with that under regular waves. As the wave height increases, the maximum strain on the floating collar increases regardless of the wave conditions. As the wave period increases, the strain changes little under regular waves and it becomes smaller with irregular waves.