State-Space Equation Model for Motion Analysis of Floating Structures Using System-Identification Methods

In this paper, we propose a method for establishing a state-space equation model for the motion analysis of floating structures subjected to wave loads, by applying system-identification techniques. Traditionally, the motion of floating structures has been analyzed in the time domain by integrating the Cummins equation over time, which utilizes a convolution integral term to account for the effects of the retardation function. State-space equation models have been studied as a way to efficiently solve floating-motion equations in the time domain. The proposed approach outlines a procedure to derive the target transfer function for the load-displacement input/output relationship in the frequency domain and subsequently determine the state-space equation that closely approximates it. To obtain the state-space equation, the method employs the N4SID system-identification method and an optimization approach that treats the coefficients of the numerator and denominator polynomials as design variables. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we applied it to the analysis of a single–degree-of-freedom model and the motion of a six–degree-of-freedom barge. Our findings demonstrate that the presented state-space equation model aligns well with the existing analysis results in both the frequency and time domains. Notably, the method ensures computational accuracy in the time-domain analysis while significantly reducing the calculation time.