This comprehensive review explores the application and impact of digital twin (DT) technology in bolstering the reliability of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) and their supporting platforms. Within the burgeoning domain of offshore wind energy, this study contextualises the need for heightened reliability measures in FOWTs and elucidates how DT technology serves as a transformative tool to address these concerns. Analysing the existing scholarly literature, the review encompasses insights into the historical reliability landscape, DT deployment methodologies, and their influence on FOWT structures. Findings underscore the pivotal role of DT technology in enhancing FOWT reliability through real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance strategies, resulting in improved operational efficiency and reduced downtime. Highlighting the significance of DT technology as a potent mechanism for fortifying FOWT reliability, the review emphasises its potential to foster a robust operational framework while acknowledging the necessity for continued research to address technical intricacies and regulatory considerations in its integration within offshore wind energy systems. Challenges and opportunities related to the integration of DT technology in FOWTs are thoroughly analysed, providing valuable insights into the role of DTs in optimising FOWT reliability and performance, thereby offering a foundation for future research and industry implementation.

This review explores the recent advancements in welding techniques for aluminum plates utilized in ships and offshore structures, with a particular focus on minimizing weld-induced deformation and residual stress to improve structural performance. Given the critical role of welding in the construction and repair of marine structures, understanding the influence of these factors is paramount. This article synthesizes current research findings, evaluates the effectiveness of various welding methods, and highlights innovative approaches to reduce adverse effects. Through a comprehensive analysis of experimental and simulation studies, this review identifies key strategies for optimizing welding processes, thereby contributing to the durability and integrity of marine structures. This synthesis not only highlights successful strategies for optimizing welding processes but also offers guidance for researchers and practitioners in the field. This review also identifies previously unaddressed gaps in the literature, particularly focusing on the underexplored interactions between specific welding parameters and the long-term durability of marine structures, offering new perspectives and directions for future research. It delineates critical challenges faced in the welding of aluminum alloys for marine applications and offers targeted suggestions to address these issues, thereby paving the way for advancements in welding practices and technology. The findings aim to guide researchers and industry practitioners in selecting and developing welding techniques that ensure the safety, reliability, and longevity of marine infrastructure.

The dynamics of a spark-generated bubble (a discharge short circuit) generated in proximity to a stationary air bubble attached to a plate is experimentally investigated by high-speed photography. Numerous interesting and complex interactions occur during the two bubble coupling pulsation owing to the deformation properties or “free surface” characteristics supplied to the plate by the attached air bubble. Complex bubble jetting behaviors, such as bubble splitting, jets away from the plate, variable directional jets, and multidirectional jets are observed. Passive pulsation of the air bubble is observed in response to the spark bubble. Moreover, five types of bubble behaviors are summarized: bubble coalescence, the air bubble skirt phenomenon, the “mountain”-shaped bubble, and the “cup cover”-shaped air bubble with or without splitting. To develop a better understanding of the coupling interactions between the two bubbles during their oscillations, four types of bubble volume–time curves are summarized using the image outline identification code established to obtain information regarding the bubble shape. The complex phenomena during the two-bubble interactions, such as the bubble jetting direction, air bubble shapes, and volume–time curves, are summarized as graphs and are highly dependent on the bubble size ratio, dimensionless cavitation bubble oscillation time, and initial displacement parameter.

Assembly sequence planning (ASP) is an indispensable and important step in the intelligent assembly process, and aims to solve the optimal assembly sequence with the shortest assembly time as its optimization goal. This paper focuses on modular cabin construction for large cruise ships, tackling the complexities and challenges of part assembly during the process, based on real engineering problems. It introduces the multiple optimal solutions genetic algorithm (MOSGA). The MOSGA analyzes product constraints and establishes a mathematical model. Firstly, the traditional genetic algorithm (GA) is improved in the case of falling into the local optimum when facing complex problems, so that it can jump out of the local optimum under the condition of satisfying the processing constraints and achieve the global search effect. Secondly, the problem whereby the traditional search algorithm converges to the unique optimal solution is solved, and multiple unique optimal solutions that are more suitable for the actual assembly problem are solved. Thirdly, for a variety of restrictions and emergencies that may occur during the assembly process, the assembly sequence flexible planning (ASFP) method is introduced so that each assembly can be flexibly adjusted. Finally, an example is used to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the method. This method improves the assembly efficiency and the diversity of assembly sequence selection, and can flexibly adjust the assembly sequence, which has important guiding significance for the ASP problem.

Fluid sloshing within containers subjected to external motion is a crucial yet intricate phenomenon with implications across various industries. This study investigates sloshing in a rectangular liquid tank through a series of experiments examining pitch excitations with diverse excitation frequencies and amplitudes across different liquid carrying rates. By analyzing pressure data and imagery of the free liquid surface, statistical trends in peak pressure at measurement points within the tank are identified, revealing the nonlinear behavior of the fluid. Spectral analysis generates power spectrum curves that delineate frequency components and energy distribution within the sloshing dynamics. Key findings include the identification of resonance-induced violent sloshing at a 20% liquid-carrying rate and a resonant frequency shift at a 70% liquid-carrying rate due to nonlinearity, displaying a “soft spring” characteristic in the frequency response. The free liquid surface exhibits four distinct waveforms depending on frequency. Notably, at a 70% liquid-carrying rate and resonant frequency excitation, three-dimensional vortex waves emerge, highlighting a complex three-dimensional effect within the tank. The power spectrum shows that the dominant response frequency aligns with the excitation frequency and its multiples. This investigation enhances our understanding of the intricate nature of sloshing in various liquid-carrying conditions, offering insights valuable for diverse industrial applications.