Abstract
A numerical procedure is described for predicting the dynamic structural responses of tension leg platforms(TLPs) in current and waves. The developed numerical approach is based on a combination of the three dimensional source distribution method and the dynamic structural analysis method, in which the superstructure of the TLPs is assumed to be flexible instead of rigid. The hydrodynamic interactions among TLP members, such as columns and pontoons, and the structural damping are included in the dynamic structural analysis. The equations of motion of a whole structure are formulated using element-fixed coordinate systems which have the origin at the nodes of the each hull element and move parallel to a space-fixed coordinate system. The dynamic structural responses of a TLP were analyzed in the case of including the current or not including the one in waves and the effects of current on the TLP were investigated.