From soft mooring to active positioning in laboratory experiments

This paper presents an active positioning system aimed at
replacing the classical ”passive” soft horizontal mooring system used in seakeeping tests of floating structures. We discuss the limitations of the passive approach, present the main components of the active system, and demonstrate its ability to reproduce results obtained with the passive system. We then show how the active system allow controlling the low-frequency damping applied to the floater. We conclude on the possibilities offered by
this apparatus.