Evaluation of the Possibility of Increasing the Energy Absorption Efficiency of Fender Devices Using the Example of Cylindrical Fenders with Additional Structural Elements Applied

The providers of transport services in ports must ensure there is adequate protection of the quays against the hulls of vessels. Highly elastic fenders mounted on the wharfs or on the hulls of vessels are used to absorb the energy of an impact. The structure of the fender, and the highly elastic material used to make it, are designed to ensure the highest possible absorption energy with minimized reaction force. In this work, the efficiency of energy absorption by cylindrical fenders into which additional structural elements were introduced in the form of holes of various diameters, was determined numerically using the finite element method. It was found that the features of such structural elements affect the efficiency of their energy absorption. In order to confirm the accuracy of the numerical calculations, they were verified based on experimental determination of the functional parameters of the cylindrical fenders. The reaction force and absorption energy values determined numerically and experimentally for the cylindrical fender were shown to be consistent. The verified numerical calculation methodology was used to evaluate the energy absorption efficiency and the reaction force in cylindrical fenders with additional structural elements.