Hydroelastic wave diffraction by a vertical cylinder.

A linear three-dimensional problem of hydroelastic wave diffraction by a bottom-mounted circular cylinder is analysed. The fluid is of finite depth and is covered by an ice sheet, which is clamped to the cylinder surface. The ice stretches from the cylinder to infinity in all lateral directions. The hydroelastic behaviour of the ice sheet is described by linear elastic plate theory, and the fluid flow by a potential flow model. The two-dimensional incident wave is regular and has small amplitude. An analytical solution of the coupled problem of hydroelasticity is found by using a Weber transform. We determine the ice deflection and the vertical and horizontal forces acting on the cylinder and analyse the strain in the ice sheet caused by the incident wave.