[eno]

Is it realistic to use CFD to replace the wind tunnel test to estimate wind load coefficients of an offshore platform(above water line part)?

[albcem]

This may arrive a little late as a response but I have been working on a CFD solver to simulate scenarios that incorporate models for

• atmospheric turbulent wind profile
• ocean waves
• aero/hydro-dynamic loads on floating vessels
• loads due to flexible mooring lines
• six-degree of freedom motion solution on floating platforms/vessels

Within limits of my own imagination, this type of simulation model is as realistic as it could get in representing the real-world scenario. Replicating a full or model scale experiment incorporating the above conditions together or partially is highly unlikely.

So my answer to your question is rather, can experiments replace simulation models?

(PS: You can have a look at my company, CAEbridge, LLC, website to get an idea of the state of the art simulation capabilities for modeling floating vessels, including offshore platforms.)