Research on Analytical Method of Fatigue Characteristics of Soft Yoke Mooring System Based on Full-Scale Measurement

By focusing on the vulnerability of the structure of marine equipments, together with considering the randomness of meta-ocean load in statistics, a kind of analytical method of fatigue characteristics of marine structure based on full-scale and actual measurement of prototype is proposed. On the basis of short-term field measurement results of structural response, research is carried out on the fatigue analysis of hinge joints at the upper part of the Soft Yoke single point Mooring System (SYMS) by simultaneously monitoring the environmental load and considering the design criteria of offshore structure. Through analysis of finite element modeling, the time-histories of typical stress response are obtained, and then the assessment of fatigue damage at key hinge joints is conducted. The simulation results indicate that the proposed method can accurately analyze the fatigue damage of offshore engineering structure caused by the effect of wave load. The present analytical method of fatigue characteristics can be extended on other offshore engineering structures subjected to meta-ocean load.     

Lateral Vibration Behavior Analysis and TLD Vibration Absorption Design of the Soft Yoke Single-Point Mooring System

Mooring system is the key equipment of FPSO safe operation. The soft yoke mooring system is regarded as one of the best shallow water mooring strategies and widely applied to the oil exploitation in the Bohai Bay in China and the Gulf of Mexico. Based on the analysis of numerous monitoring data obtained by the prototype monitoring system of one FPSO in the Bohai Bay, the on-site lateral vibration behaviors found on the site of the soft yoke subject to wave load were analyzed. ADAMS simulation and model experiment were utilized to analyze the soft yoke lateral vibration and it was determined that lateral vibration was resonance behaviors caused by wave excitation. On the basis of the soft yoke longitudinal restoring force being guaranteed, a TLD-based vibration damper system was constructed and the vibration reduction experiments with multi-tank space and multi-load conditions were developed. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed TLD vibration reduction system can effectively reduce lateral vibration of soft yoke structures.     

对称式布置锚链系统的线性化处理

用悬链线方程求解了不同锚链状态的锚链力 ,并用多项式回归了锚链力与锚固点位移的关系 ,由此求得锚链恢复力刚度系数。分析了对称式布置锚链系统的非线性程度 ,阐述对称式布置锚链系统所提供的恢复力作线性化处理的可行性及方法 ,并给出了对称布置锚链系统的线性刚度矩阵。为各类受对称式布置锚链系统约束的浮动结构物的动力分析提供了理论依据     

Setpoint Chasing for Thruster-Assisted Position Mooring

In the present industrial thruster-assisted position mooring (PM) systems, thrusters are used to damp the vessel's dynamical motions and to provide compensation of any line breakage. To increase robustness and extend the weather window for PM systems, this paper proposes a new concept of setpoint (SP) chasing for moderate and extreme conditions. The SP in moderate conditions is the vessel's equilibrium position where the environmental loads are balanced by the mooring forces to avoid the conflict between the control action of thruster assistance and the mooring system. To chase this SP, the thruster assistance provides additional damping and restoring forces to compensate the dynamic environmental loads while the mooring system compensates the mean environmental loads. The simulations and experiments suggested that the proposed SP chasing for moderate conditions improved the vessel performance while the utilization of the mooring system was maximized. Due to risk for mooring line breakage, the SP in extreme conditions is the position closer to the field zero point than the equilibrium position. To chase this SP, the thruster assistance provides damping, restoring force and mean force controls to compensate both the dynamic and a part of the mean environmental loads while the mooring system compensates the rest of the mean environmental loads. The simulations indicated that the proposed SP chasing for extreme conditions reduced the vessel's drift and tension in the most loaded line.      

Theoretical Model and Dynamic Analysis of Soft Yoke Mooring System

As a popular solution for mooring an FPSO （Floating Production, Storage and Offloading） permanently in shallow water, the soft yoke mooring system has been widely used in ocean oil production activities in the Bohai Bay of China. In order to simulate the interaction mechanism and conduct dynamic analysis of the soft yoke mooring system, a theoretical model with basic dynamic equations is established. A numerical iteration algorithm based on error estimation is developed to solve the equations and calculate the dynanfic response of the mooring system due to FPSO motions. Validation is conducted by wave basin experimentation. It is shown that the numerical simulation takes only a few iteration times and the final errors are small. Furthermore, the calculated results of both the static and dynamic responses agree well with those ones obtained by the model test. It indicates that the efficiency, the precision, the reliability and the validity of the developed numerical algorithm and program are rather good. It is proposed to develop a real-time monitoring system to further monitor the dynamic performance of the FPSO with a soft yoke mooring system under various real sea environments.     

Dynamic Response Analysis of the Equivalent Water Depth Truncated Point of the Catenary Mooring Line

The real-time computer-controlled actuators are used to connect the truncated parts of moorings and risers in the active hybrid model testing system. This must be able to work in model-scale real time, based on feedback input from the floater motions. Thus, mooring line dynamics and damping effects are artificially simulated in real time, based on a computer-based model of the problem. In consideration of the nonlinear characteristics of the sea platform catenary mooring line, the equations of the mooring line motion are formulated by using the lumped-mass method and the dynamic response of several points on the mooring line is investigated by the time and frequency domain analysis method. The dynamic response of the representative point on the mooring line is analyzed under the condition of two different corresponding upper endpoint movements namely sine wave excitation and random wave excitation. The corresponding laws of the dynamic response between the equivalent water depth truncated points at different locations and the upper endpoint are obtained, which can provide technical support for further study of the active hybrid model test.     

半潜平台锚泊辅助动力定位时域模拟研究

随着海洋油气资源开发逐渐走向深海,浮式结构物的定位能力越来越受到人们的重视。锚的泊辅助动力定位系统是将锚泊定位和动力定位相结合的一种新型海上定位系统。它具有安全性高、定位能力强、消耗功率小的特点。本文以某深水半潜式钻井平台为例,通过建立锚泊辅助动力定位时域模拟程序,分析平台在工作海况下的定位精度和功率消耗,并与相应海况下的动力定位进行比较。分析结果表明,该时域模拟程序能较为准确的地反映实际平台的定位情况。与动力定位相比,锚泊辅助动力定位能够取得更好的定位精度和较小的功率消耗,是更理想的定位方式。     

Dynamic response simulation of a heavy cargo suspended by a floating crane based on multibody system dynamics

In this paper, the dynamic response simulation of heavy cargo suspended by a floating crane is performed. The dynamic equations of the motions of the floating crane and the heavy cargo must be considered by the coupled equations because the floating crane and the heavy cargo are connected by wire ropes and provide force and a moment for each other. Hence, the dynamic equations of motion are set up for considering the 6-degrees-of-freedom floating crane and the 6-degrees-of-freedom cargo based on multibody system dynamics. The nonlinear terms in the equations of motion are considered. In addition, the nonlinear hydrostatic force, the linear hydrodynamic force, the wire rope force, and the mooring force are considered as the external forces. Finally, we estimate the motion of the floating crane and the heavy cargo and also calculate the tension of the wire rope between the two.     

Coupled-dynamic analysis of floating structures with polyester mooring lines

A theory and numerical tool are developed for the coupled-dynamic analysis of a deepwater floating platform with polyester mooring lines. The formulas allow relatively large elongation and nonlinear stress–strain relationships, as typically observed in polyester fibers. The mooring-line dynamics are based on a rod theory and the finite element method (FEM), with the governing equations described in a generalized coordinate system. The original rod theory [Nordgren, R.P., 1974. On Computation of the Motion of Elastic Rods. Journal of Applied Mechanics, 41, 777–780] is generalized to allow larger elongation and nonlinear stress–strain relationship. The dynamic modulus of polyester is modeled following an empirical regression formula suggested by [Bosman, R.L.M., Hooker, J., 1999. The Elastic Modulus Characteristic of Polyester Mooring Ropes. In: Proceedings of the Offshore Technology Conference, OTC 10779. Houston, Texas], in which the axial stiffness is not constant, but depends on loading conditions. Two case studies, the static and dynamic behavior of a tensioned buoy and a classic spar with polyester mooring lines, are conducted. The time-domain simulation results are systematically compared with those from the original rod theory. The effects of large elongation and nonlinear stress–strain relations are separately assessed. It is seen that the mean offset, motions, and tension with polyester lines can be different from those by original rod theory with linear elastic lines.     

Analytical expressions of the bifurcation boundaries for symmetric spread mooring systems

For a general symmetric Spread Mooring System .(SMS), the five necessary and sufficient conditions for stability are derived analytically. It is shown that only two conditions are dominant in symmetric ship moorings. The equations derived in this paper provide analytical means for determining static and dynamic loss of stability, as well as elementary singularities and roots to chaos, of symmetric SMS configurations, such as those recommended by the American Petroleum Institute. Thus, first it becomes easy to identify the morphogenesis occurring when a bifurcation boundary is crossed; and second, it is possible to determine the dependence of a symmetric SMS on any design parameter—such as mooring line length, orientation, pretension, etc. Theoretical results are verified by comparison to numerical results generated with nonlinear dynamics and codimension one and two bifurcation theory. The mathematical model of the SMS consists of the nonlinear third order manoeuvring equations without memory of the horizontal plane slow motion dynamics—surge, sway, and yaw—of a vessel moored to several terminals. Mooring lines are modeled as synthetic nylon ropes, chains, or steel cables. External excitation consists of time independent current, wind, and mean wave drift forces.     

Effect of Failure Mode of Taut Mooring System on the Dynamic Response of A Semi-Submersible Platform

Mooring system failure can lead to largely different dynamic response of floating structures when compared to the response under the condition of intact mooring system. For a semi-submersible platform with taut mooring system under extreme environmental conditions, the typical mooring system failure includes anchor line breaking failure due to the broken anchor line, and the anchor dragging failure caused by the anchor failure in the seabed soil due to the shortage of the anchor bearing capacity. However, study on the mooring failure caused by anchor failure is rare. The current work investigates the effect of three failure modes of taut mooring system on dynamic response of a semi-submersible platform, including one line breaking failure, two lines breaking failure, and one line breaking with one line attached anchor dragging failure. The nonlinear polynomial mooring line model in AQWA was used with integrating the load and displacement curve from the anchor pulling study to characterize the anchor dragging behavior for mooring system failure caused by the anchor failure. The offsets of the platform and the tension of mooring lines were analyzed for mooring system failure with 100-year return period. It is found that the mooring failure of one line breaking with one line attached anchor dragging is a case between the other two mooring failures. The traditional mooring analysis considering only the damaged condition with one line breaking is not safe enough. And the simple way of mooring analysis of two lines breaking is too conservative for the costly offshore engineering.

     

Mooring Design & Dynamics—a Matlab® package for designing and analyzing oceanographic moorings

Mooring Design and Dynamics is a set of Matlab® routines that can be used to assist in the design and configuration of single point oceanographic moorings, the evaluation of mooring tension and shape under the influence of wind and currents, and the simulation of mooring component positions when forced by time-dependent currents. The static model will predict the tension and tilt at each mooring component, including the anchor, for which the safe mass will be evaluated in terms of the vertical and horizontal tensions. Predictions can be saved to facilitate mooring motion correction. Time-dependent currents can be entered to predict the dynamic response of the mooring. The package includes a preliminary database of standard mooring components which can be selected from pull down menus. The database can be edited and expanded to include user specific components, frequently used fasteners/wires etc., or unique oceanographic instruments. Once designed and tested, a draft of the mooring components can be plotted and a list of components, including fasteners can be printed.     

Ship berthing and mooring monitoring system by pneumatic-type fenders

Ship berthing and mooring monitoring system by using pneumatic-type fenders has been proposed. This system consists of present berth monitoring system including a mooring line load monitoring system, and a fender load monitoring system. The fender loads such as fender deflection and reaction force are calculated by measuring inner air pressure of the pneumatic fenders, which have unique characteristics in performance. Furthermore both loads for the mooring lines and the fenders can be used to estimate moored ship motions simultaneously. Total ship monitoring system at jetty can be achieved and contributes safe ship berthing and mooring.     

半潜式支持平台系泊系统的设计方法及应用

系泊系统是半潜式支持平台抵抗恶劣海洋环境作用、限制平台偏移、实现海上定位的重要设备,辐射状多点系泊是常用的布置方式。针对该平台系泊系统开展了设计方法和分析流程研究,阐述了系泊系统配置设计,包括系泊缆的数量、抛出长度、单根系泊缆的刚度、直径、破断负荷、定位锚的型式、最大抓力等;系泊系统的布置设计,包括系泊缆之间的水平夹角、系泊绞车、导缆器、定位锚的位置等;同时归纳风载荷、流载荷以及波浪慢漂载荷的常用估算方法;总结适用于该类平台系泊系统设计的规范要求。将上述方法和流程应用于某型半潜式支持平台系泊系统的开发和设计,采用系泊定位分析程序MIMOSA对该系统的定位能力进行分析,研究了系泊缆形状、夹角等参数随张力的变化特征,同时系泊缆按照船级社的规范要求进行衡准,反复调整和优化系泊系统的配置和布置方式,直至系泊系统满足要求,最终设计出较合适的系泊系统。相关方法、流程和结论为实际工程项目提供重要的设计思路。     

Hybrid Verification of A Deepwater Cell-Truss Spar

Hybrid model testing technique is widely used in verification of a deepwater floating structure and its mooring system,but the design of the truncated mooring systems which can reproduce both static and dynamic response same as the full-depth mooring system is still a big challenge,especially for the mooting systems with large truncation.A Cell-Tress Spar operated in 1500 m water depth is verified in a wave basin with 4 m water depth.A large truncation factor arises even though a small model scale 1:100 is adopted.Computer program modules for analyzing the static and frequency domain dynamic response of mooting line are combined with multi-objective genetic algorithm NSGA-II to optimize the truncared mooting system.Considering the asymmetry of layout of mooring hnes,two different truncated mooring systems are respectively designed for both directions in which the restoring forces of the.mooting system are quite,different.Not only the static characteristics of the mooting systems are calibrated,but also the dynamic responses of the single truncated mooting line are evaluated through time domain numerical simulation and model tests.The model test results of 100-year storm in the GOM are reconstructed and extrapolated to a full depth.It is found that the experimental and numerical resuits of Spar wave frequency motion agree well,and the dynamic responses of the full-depth mooring lines are better reproduced,but the low frequency surge motion is overestimated due to the smaller mooring-induced damping.It is a feasible method adopting different truncated mooring systems for different directions in which the restoring force characteristics are quite different and cannot be simulated by one truncated mooring system.Hybrid verification of a deepwater platform in wave basin with shallow water depth is still feasible if the truncated mooring systems are properly designed,and numerical extrapolation is necessary.     

绷紧式系泊缆冲击张力特性研究

采用集中质量法研究了绷紧式系泊系统中系缆由于松弛-张紧过程产生的冲击张力。建立系泊缆绳离散的集中质量模型,对其独立单元进行受力分析并建立了单元的运动方程。给定缆绳上端点简谐激励,通过Ansys中的Aqwa模块,分析了缆绳的运动响应;针对缆绳运动响应过程中的三种状态进行了模拟计算,探讨了冲击张力产生的条件;研究了缆绳初始预张力、上端点激励幅值和频率、拖曳力系数、弹性模量以及单位长度质量对动态张力的影响。研究结果表明:这些影响因素不仅会影响缆绳动态张力的大小,也会对缆绳中的冲击张力产生一定的影响。     

Measurements of static and dynamic mooring line damping and their importance for floating WEC devices

The dynamic response of the mooring line will be a dominant factor to consider in their use for the station keeping of a wave energy converter (WEC). Due to the relatively small size of WECs and their being moored in relatively shallow waters the effect of waves, tide and current can be of greater significance than for other floating offshore systems. Axial line stretching and high-frequency ‘top-end’ dynamics can importantly modify damping and top-end loading.If a ‘farm’ of devices is to be considered then limitations in sea space may necessitate that the devices be relatively densely packed. This will mean that the ‘footprint’ of the mooring should be constrained, to ensure that the moorings from each device do not interfere and this will have great significance for the loading experienced by the line. One must also consider how the mooring system might change the response of the WEC and so alter its ability to extract power from the waves. Unlike a typical offshore system, the design of moorings for a WEC device must consider reliability and survivability, and the need to ensure efficient energy conversion.The design and operation of a chain mooring for a WEC is considered here. Generic experimental measurements of mooring line damping were conducted in the Heriot-Watt University wave basin at a scale of 1:10. The measurements were conducted on a single mooring line for surge motions and include the study of axial stretching and high top-end dynamics. The laboratory procedures were designed to resemble tests undertaken earlier at ‘full’ scale in 24 m water depth. The measurements were also compared with numerical studies. The experimental findings for WEC devices, supports the conclusion that dynamic mooring line motion will be an important variable, needing to be considered carefully within the design.     

法向承力锚(VLA)--一种适用于深海工程的新型系泊基础

深水系泊基础是深水系泊系统的重要组成,随着海洋油气资源开发的加速发展,深水系泊系统的关键技术成为国际海洋油气资源开发的重要研究领域.法向承力锚（VLA）是一种崭新的适用于深海油气资源开发的系泊基础形式,论文对其应用、性能特点、工作原理、安装与回收以及计算分析方法等进行了全面介绍,以期对科研人员进一步认识深水系泊系统的关键技术有所帮助,并对国内深水系泊系统的研发起到一定的借鉴作用.     

Multibody dynamics of floating wind turbines with large-amplitude motion

A new approach to multibody dynamics is investigated by treating floating wind turbines as multibody systems. The system is considered as three rigid bodies: the tower, nacelle and rotor. Three large-amplitude rotational degrees of freedom (DOFs) of the tower are described by 1-2-3 sequence Euler angles. Translation of the entire system is described by Newton’s second Law applied to the center of mass (CM) of the system and transferred to 3 translational DOFs of the tower. Additionally, two prescribed DOFs governed by mechanical control, nacelle yaw and rotor spin, are combined with the 6 DOFs of the tower to formulate the 8-DOF equations of motion (EOMs) of the system. The CM of the system is generally time-varying and not constrained to any rigid body due to the arbitrary location of the CM of each body and relative mechanical motions among the bodies. The location of the CM being independent of any body is considered in both the solution to 3 translational DOFs and the calculation of angular momentum of each body for 3 rotational DOFs. The theorem of conservation of momentum is applied to the entire multibody system directly to solve 6 unknown DOFs. Motions computed using the six nonlinear EOMs are transformed to each body in a global coordinate system at every time-step for use in the computation of hydrodynamics, aerodynamics and restoring forcing, which preserves the nonlinearity between external excitation and structural dynamics. The new method is demonstrated by simulation of the motion of a highly compliant floating wind turbine. Results are verified by critical comparison with those of the popular wind turbine dynamics software FAST.     

Dynamic factor analysis considering elastic boom effects in heavy lifting operations

The dynamic factor is the ratio of the maximum dynamic load to the static load acting on the wire ropes between the boom of a floating crane and a cargo. In this paper, the dynamic factor is analyzed based on dynamic simulations of a floating crane and a cargo, considering an elastic boom. For the simulation, we designed a multibody system that consists of a floating crane barge, an elastic boom, and a cargo connected to the boom through wire ropes. The dynamic equations of motion of the system are based on flexible multibody system dynamics. Six-degree-of-freedom motions are considered for the floating crane and for the cargo, and three-dimensional deformations for the elastic boom. The hydrostatic force, the hydrodynamic force, the gravitational force, and the wire rope forces are considered as external forces. The dynamic factor is obtained by numerically solving the equation. The effects of the elastic boom on heavy cargo lifting are discussed by comparing the simulation results of an elastic boom and a rigid boom.