Stochastic wave spectra estimation (SWSE) based on response surface methodology considering uncertainty in transfer functions of a ship

In this paper, a new wave spectra estimation method is proposed in which the frequency domain wave estimation method (FDWE) is extended into a probabilistic analytical framework in order to estimate the encountered sea states involving uncertainty in transfer functions of a ship. The proposed method, named the Stochastic Wave Spectra Estimation (SWSE), makes use of an Hermite polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) to represent the uncertainty in the transfer functions and the response surfaces. The method involves a mathematical formulation where an extension of the deterministic FDWE concept to the space of random variables is made. The proposed method can accurately and easily estimate the encountered wave spectra based on ship response measurements accounting for uncertainty in the transfer functions. In this paper, numerical and experimental investigations of the proposed SWSE are made, where the uncertainties in the transfer functions of heave and pitch motions of a containership are taken into account. The validity of the SWSE is demonstrated by comparison to results of uncertainty analyses through the Monte-Carlo simulations (MCS).