A hybrid element method for diffraction of water waves by three‐dimensional bodies

SUMMARY A hybrid elcment method developed recently for two-dimensional problems of water waves in an infinite fluid is extended to three dimensions. In this method only a limited fluid domain close to irregular bodies is discretized into conventional finite elements, while the remaining infinite domain is treated as one element with analytical representations of high accuracy. Continuity at the junction surface is treated as natural boundary conditions in a variational principle. Computation experience and numerical results for several ocean structures are presented.