Structural analysis of a small volume offshore aquaculture cage system utilizing numerical modeling and scaled physical testing

The global demand for fish products has surpassed the supply available from wild harvest. As this demand continues to increase, the need for ample aquaculture facilities is causing many protective coastal areas, common for fish growing sites, to become highly overloaded creating both environmental and space concerns. Progressive solutions are enabling the development of new sites in the offshore environment. This study evaluated the structural performance of the American Soybean Association International Marketing and U.S. Soybean Export Council's open ocean aquaculture fish cage and mooring design proposed for use in developing countries.;The analysis included numerical modeling and physical testing. Dynamic simulations investigated performance of the system when subjected to multiple regular and random waves as well as currents. Physical testing was conducted on a scale model in a wave/tow tank. Motion and load responses were analyzed and compared to predict the cage response for deployment at a variety of potential sites. These results were further used to investigate the reliability of the cage frame through a numerical structural analysis. The analysis showed that the cage will not fail under any of the considered loadings.