Finite Element Analysis of under Water Towed Cables

The towing of an underwater object by means of a cable attached to a ship is an important problem in underwater technology. An underwater towed body is generally at the mercy of hydrodynamic and hydrostatic forces, which controls its motion through water. These forces affect the depth characteristics of the towed body giving specific configuration to the towline. This work consists of the development of a finite element program for the dynamic analysis of underwater towed cable and its tow characteristic NOMENCLATURE CD Drag Coefficient CM Inertia Coefficient Ca Added Mass Coefficient Cx,Cy,Cz Direction cosines of the element FG Gravitational force acting on the member FD,FN Normal and Tangential components of the drag force Do Total Drag on the towed body. d Water depth L wave length Re Reynod’s Number S Scope of the Cable T Tension in the Cable at any instant