Abstract:
To ensure the safety of towing an immersed tube tunnel, it is crucial to thoroughly investigate the motion behavior and factors that influence the process. This study employs numerical simulation to examine the towing behavior of an immersed tube tunnel under specific working conditions in a practical project. The investigation focuses on pitch angle, heave, towing speed, and towing force. The findings reveal that the immersed tube structure demonstrates excellent stability and minimal motion response during the floating process. By altering variables such as cable arrangement angle, cable length, tugboat speed, and wave direction, the study explores the impact of different factors on the towing behavior. Utilizing the Apriori algorithm, a correlation analysis of the influencing factors is conducted. The results indicate that the cable arrangement angle and cable length have a negligible effect on the towing motion response but do influence the towing force. Specifically, a cable arrangement angle of 45° and a cable length of 100 m are deemed favorable for the safety of immersed tube towing. The motion response of the immersed tube structure is most sensitive to speed, followed by wave direction angle. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid excessive towing speeds, with a recommended maximum tugboat speed of 0.77 m/s, considering the project's towing force requirements. Additionally, towing against head waves should be avoided, and whenever possible, a 45° angle relative to the wave direction should be adopted to ensure the safety and stability of the immersed tube.