Vol.26, Special Issue A, 2026, pp. S45–S54
https://doi.org/10.69644/ivk-2026-siA-0045 

SANDWICH COMPOSITE UTILISATION FOR FLOATING OSCILLATING WATER COLUMN STRUCTURE: PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS UNDER IMPULSE LOADS

Aldi Fahli Muzaqih1 , Muhamad Imam Firdaus2 , Ristiyanto Adiputra3* , Aditya Rio Prabowo1** , Sharath Srinivasamurthy4 , Adnan Sandy Dwi Marta5 

1) Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, INDONESIA

A.F. Muzaqih https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2023-9284 ; A.R. Prabowo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5217-5943

*email: ristiyanto.adiputra@brin.go.id , **email: aditya@ft.uns.ac.id , 

2) Banten Merchant Polytechnic, Banten, INDONESIA  M.I. Firdaus https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0539-0661

3) Research Center for Hydrodynamics Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency, South Tangerang, INDONESIA

R. Adiputra https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3630-9432 

4) Institute of Ocean Energy, Saga University, Saga, JAPAN  S. Srinivasamurthy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9915-6301

5) Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, National Research and Innovation Agency, South Tangerang, INDONESIA

A.S.D. Marta https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0768-0709

 

Abstract

Composite materials have promising potential for renewable energy applications, such as the structure for the Oscillating Water Column (OWC). As OWC structures are continuously subjected to impulsive wave loads, understanding their structural response is crucial for ensuring reliability and safety. This study investigates the structural strength and integrity of composite sandwich panels under impulsive loading using the Finite Element Method (FEM) implemented in ABAQUS® Simulia with an adapted Underwater Shock Loading Simulator (USLS) model. Various configurations are evaluated by combining different facesheet materials, core types, and adhesive systems. The results show that PVC foam cores provide superior stiffness with displacements as low as 1.3 mm. In terms of impulse transmission, Nomex honeycomb cores exhibit the best damping performance, reducing reaction forces to approximately 3.5 kN. Energy absorption analysis reveals that the carbon-SAN foam-polyurethane configuration achieves the highest absorbed energy of 22 kJ.

Keywords: • blast load • energy absorption • finite element analysis • ultimate capacity

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