Optimum selection of design parameters for transportation of offshore structures

A probabilistic framework is presented to select the design significant wave height and design transverse rotation for typical barges used in the Gulf of Mexico for marine transportation of structural elements and/or systems. The selection of design transverse rotation is based on optimization procedure that trade-off between the performance of the barge subjected to a meteorological-oceanographic (metocean) hazard along the route and losses by structural damage. For this purpose probabilistic models to estimate the metocean hazard for marine transportation are shown. Afterwards, the design rotation is linked to the design of significant wave height and to the return period associated with such wave conditions. The formulation is applied to an offshore transportation route in the Gulf of Mexico.     

基于熵的海洋平台安全评价专家评定模型

针对现今海洋平台安全评价中存在的仅靠主观臆断选取专家的缺陷,在定义最优专家的基础上,采用熵度量各专家给出评价结果的不确定性及专家与最优专家的差异,建立了基于熵的专家评定模型。海洋平台装船过程安全评价中,对专家的评定实例表明,该模型计算简单,意义明确,对海洋平台安全评价具有重要的理论与现实意义。     

Involving the public in the impact assessment of offshore renewable energy facilities

Public participation in decision-making about development has many benefits especially in the coastal zone and in the near-shore marine environment. This research expands the discussion of public involvement in decisions about marine resource use by examining public participation in environmental impact assessment as relevant for offshore renewable energy facilities. A review of empirical and theoretical research supports the development of a framework for further analysis. The framework consists of five main features: (1) effective communication, (2) broad-based inclusion, (3) prioritization, (4) early three-way learning, and (5) alternatives analysis. The paper's concluding sections explore the relevance of such a framework and indicate possible applications.     

Foundation engineering for offshore gravity structures

This is the third in a series of three state‐of‐the‐art papers concerning the geotechnical engineering aspects of the installation of gravity platforms in the North Sea. Andresen et al. (1979) discuss the planning and execution of offshore site investigations and the procedures used to obtain soil engineering parameters. Eide et al. (1979) review the details of the different platform designs and the installation procedures for the thirteen gravity structures that so far have been placed in the North Sea in 70 m to 153 m of water. In this paper, the foundation engineering for gravity structures installed in the North Sea is reviewed including recommended analyses of permanent and cyclic foundation deformations, dynamic behavior, foundation stability, skirt penetration resistance and base contact stresses, potential piping and erosion problems, and stresses in oil wells and risers. Field performance observations are reported, and it is concluded that gravity structures may safely be installed in offshore areas with less favorable platform foundation conditions than so far encountered in the North Sea.     

Similarity method for modelling hydroelastic offshore platforms

Similarity methods provide a very powerful technique for modelling offshore platforms. Such methods are preferable for situations where the wave-structure interaction process is complex, and its modelling cannot be expressed by rigorous mathematical formulations.In modelling the interaction between waves and an offshore platform, the dynamic properties of the wave and structure must be considered together to determine the similitude parameters. The paper gives details of such an investigation using a frequency response function approach. Three different models, which are termed general, distorted and nondistorted Froudian models, are developed. From the general model, it was found that the velocity scales of the wave and structure could be treated differently. Internal and external force scales could also be different. It is observed then that a restrictive modelling criterion is used when the velocity scale of a structure is obtained from Froudian scale modelling. Furthermore, detailed scales for practical use are developed. The model parameters for an acrylic plastic tripod tower platform with length scales of 1/50 and 1/70 are given, and the accuracy involved among the three models determined for these scales. The sensitivity of the results to slight variations in thickness and Young's modulus are also discussed.     

Force resultants for deep-water wave-excited offshore structures

Concepts are developed which lead to an improved understanding of the characteristics of the wave forces that act on deep-water, jacket-type offshore structures. These concepts are the result of comprehensive examinations of both the inertia and the drag force components of the wave excitation. It is shown that, under conditions which are of practical importance, the resultants of the inertia and drag force components can both be expressed in terms of the motion of the sea surface. Fundamental modal forces which govern fundamental modal responses for offshore structures are also examined, and the relationships between these modal forces and the resultants of the inertia and drag force components are established. The structural response itself is further examined, and valuable information is developed which is believed to be of practical importance.     

海洋平台结构的冰力作用模型

首先分析了工程中静冰力计算中普遍应用的Korzhavin -Afanasev公式和Schawz公式 ,提出了统一的静冰力模型 ,给出了挤压破坏、屈曲破坏和弯曲破坏冰力系数函数CI(t)。应用该冰力模型分析了自激振动产生的条件 ,指出冰屈曲破坏和弯曲破坏动冰力可以作为强迫振动模型 ,冰挤压破坏动冰力则需要考虑CI(t)与冰阻尼的耦合效应。最后应用冰力一般模型计算单自由度结构的响应     

A floating tied system for an offshore airport

This paper presents a new system for a floating offshore airport. It consists of an assembly of precast boxes, each of them tied with a cable system. The (tension) cable system acts as a bracing against any lateral forces during airport operation. It also prevents the boxes from oscillating and moving during the airport construction and operation. The space inside each box can be utilized for other purposes. A top slab system consisting of precast and cast in situ concrete slabs will form the platform of the airport. Finally, a proposed method of construction is also presented. The new system offers an easier construction method and allows future airport extension and even relocation.     

An alternative structural system for an offshore airport

An alternative floating system for an offshore airport and other reclamation works is presented. It consists of precast boxes filled with FRP hollow spheres which sit on pile system. A top slab system consisting of precast and cast in situ concrete slabs will make the whole system monolithic. The light weight but strong spheres will enable the system to make use the uplift force from water. The precast boxes and slab system will transfer the difference between the gravity and uplift forces, as well as any lateral forces to the pile system. Finally, a proposed method of any lateral forces to the pile system. construction is also presented.     

Anchor deployment for deep water floating offshore equipments

In this work a planning methodology for deep water anchor deployment in offshore platforms and floating production systems aiming at operational resources optimization is explored, by minimizing a multi criteria objective function. As an additional advantage provided by the proposed methodology, planning automation is achieved. Planning automation overcomes the traditional way, using a trial error basis. With it, an engineer, using an anchoring software, decides how much work wire and anchoring line must be paid out from both the floating system and the tug boat. Additionally, he decides which horizontal force must be applied to the line, trying to settle the anchor on a previously defined target on the ocean floor.     

Evaluation of fibre rope properties for offshore mooring

An examination has been conducted of fibre rope mechanical properties measured in laboratory tests on materials, constructions and terminations intended for deepwater mooring applications. This data, combined with field experience, provide a better understanding of rope behaviour and enhances the knowledge required to engineer fibre ropes for these demanding applications.This has also led to improved laboratory test techniques for measurement of mechanical properties relevant to mooring system response analyses required to meet regulatory requirements. Preliminary evaluation of the data also indicates that a post-test evaluation method to determine retained properties of insert strops removed from mooring lines may be possible.     

Weather routing for offshore transportation using genetic algorithm

Conventional weather routing is defined as determining the optimum route for a merchant ship such that distance or duration of the voyage and fuel consumption are minimized. If the purpose of a voyage is offshore transfer, the term “optimum” includes aspects of operational safety such as towing tension and six-degree motion response of tow. This paper presents the development of a weather routing method for determining the optimal route, which is defined here as the route with minimum average towing tension with a restricted time of arrival and significant motion response. A genetic algorithm is applied to solve optimization problems. Optimized routes of this research have an advantage in towing tension and satisfy motion constraints. The result of this study can contribute to safe and effective planning for offshore transport.     

Risk in stability evaluation for floating offshore units

During the useful life of a vessel it undergoes various changes that lead to uncertainties in determining the displacement and center of gravity. Besides upgrading work, the very operation of the platform itself involving constant ballast and oil loading and unloading or the use of maintenance equipment can generates uncertainties concerning the displacement and center of gravity. These, therefore, are the parameters that present uncertainties inherent to the vessel's operations. Taking this into account, one example of the application of uncertainties on the displacement and transversal and vertical center of gravity positions will be presented in the analysis of the static stability of a converted FPSO tanker. Another question raised in this work is the deterministic treatment of certain criteria for the parameters that depend on random factors, such as wind, currents and waves. This paper will present a probabilistic approach for the calculation of the roll angle according to resolution IMO A.562 (environment criteria). The two chosen criteria for this analysis were resolutions IMO A.167 (general criteria) and A.562 (weather criterion).     

基于舰船耐波性的中国近海海浪特征统计(英文)

海浪是影响舰船行进和结构设计的最核心的环境要素。海浪参数的统计分析是建立舰船环境适应性长期预测模型的基础。对1993-2011年沿海台站、浮标观测资料,高度计观测资料和船舶报观测资料进行双线性插值,给出了海浪波高的分析场。利用波高分析场对WAVEWATCHIII(WW3)模拟结果进行最优插值同化。给出了海浪统计玫瑰图、极端海浪统计参数和海浪累年二维极值海浪谱等与舰船耐波性有关的海浪统计参数,分析了中国近海的波浪特征。     

Topology optimization design for offshore platform jacket structure

Offshore jacket platform is widely used as production or oil recovering platform in the shallow sea, and is also applied to the offshore wind turbine supporting structure in the recent years. The jacket structures are normally designed to be conservative and bulky according to various design codes. In this work, a structural optimization design method for jacket platform structure has been developed based on topology optimization theory. The topology optimization method is applicable at an early design stage, which can determine the initial structure and force transmission path. The whole design space is chosen as design variables, and the goal is to maximize the structural stiffness. A set of constraints based on multi-criteria design assessment is applied according to standard requirements, which includes stress, deformation, vibration and design variable constraints. The optimization results are compared with the original platform for static performance, dynamic performance and Ultimate Carrying Capacity (UCC). Results show that the optimized structure show a 13.7% reduction in the global mass, 46.31% reduction in the maximum equivalent stress, and large ultimate carrying capacity ability under the same environmental loads. It is demonstrated that the proposed topology optimization method is capable of effectively determining the optimal design of jacket platform structures.     

海洋平台的灌浆卡箍技术研究

在国内外文献研究的基础上，对钢质近海结构物的修理，加固方法做了较为深入的研究，利用丹麦学者N．S．Ottosen提出的多轴应力状态下混凝土强度理论Ottosen破坏准则，建立了钢与混凝土组合结构T型灌浆卡箍管节点的轴向受控，受压和面内弯矩作用下的非线性有限元计算模型，采用分级加载计算分析了相应的极限承载能力，并与试验结果进行比较分析，计算结果表明，经灌浆卡箍维修后的管节点应力分布，变形和极限承载能力都得到了明显的改善，所得结果较好地反映了实际结构的力学特性。