Mooring forces and motion responses of pontoon-type floating breakwaters

The experimental and theoretical investigations on the behaviour of pontoon-type floating breakwaters are presented. A two-dimensional finite element model is adopted to study the behaviour of pontoon-type floating breakwaters in beam waves. The stiffness coefficients of the slack mooring lines are idealized as the linear stiffness coefficients, which can be derived from the basic catenary equations of the cable. The theoretical model is supported by an experimental programme conducted in a wave flume. The motion responses and mooring forces are measured for three different mooring configurations, and the results are reported and discussed in detail in this paper. The wave attenuation characteristics are presented for the configurations studied.     

Nonlinear response of a moored buoy

The nonlinear dynamic analysis of a multipoint slack moored buoy is performed under the action of first and second order wave forces. The nonlinearity of the system is caused by the geometric nonlinearity of the mooring lines. The resulting nonlinear equation of motion is solved by an incremental time marching scheme. The nonlinear responses of the system are analysed to investigate different kinds of dynamic instability phenomena that may arise due to the nonlinearity of the system. As an illustrative example, a hollow cylindrical buoy anchored to the sea bed by means of six slack mooring lines is considered. The responses of the system are obtained and analysed for three regular waves namely, 5 m/5 s, 12 m/10 s and 18 m/15 s. The results of the study show that different kinds of instability phenomena like nT subharmonic oscillations, symmetry breaking bifurcation and aperiodic responses may occur in slack mooring systems. Further, a second order wave force may considerably influence the dynamic stability of such systems.     

A methodology for assessing the reliability of taut and slack mooring systems against instability

In the present study, a methodology for reliability assessment of slack and taut mooring systems against instability has been presented. For this purpose, first, stability analysis of slack and taut mooring systems has been carried out and instable regions are obtained using procedure available in the literature. Having known the instable region(s), methodology for reliability assessment has been proposed which is based on Monte Carlo Simulation technique. After using the proposed methodology, probabilities of failure and reliability indices has been obtained for the above systems. Some parametric studies, such as, effect of lower and upper limits of instability and effect of frequency range of generations are also included to obtain the results of practical interest.     

新型深海系泊系统及数值分析技术

随着海洋油气资源开发逐渐向深海转移,传统的悬链式系泊系统在技术和经济上遇到难以逾越的障碍。作为一种新型的适用于深水和超深水环境的系泊系统,绷紧索系泊系统面临广阔的应用前景。文章对这种新型系泊系统的发展情况进行了介绍,基于有限元数值分析技术,对系泊系统的两个关键特性,即系缆的绷紧-松弛特性以及纤维系缆的动刚度特性进行了分析和处理,通过算例考察了深海平台运动引起的系缆力响应。     

Experimental and numerical investigations on the intact and damage survivability of a floating–moored oscillating water column device

This paper investigates the intact and damage survivability of a floating–moored Oscillating Water Column (OWC) device using physical model experiments and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Different extreme wave conditions have been tested using irregular and regular wave conditions. The device was moored to the tank floor via four vertical taut lines and the effect of the mooring line pre–tension on the device response was studied. It was found that the instantaneous position of the floating device was a key factor in the survivability analysis such that a certain irregular wave train that might not include the largest wave could induce the maximum response. Reducing the pre–tension minimized the maximum surge, but significantly increased the maximum tension due to mooring slack events causing snatch loads. A design regular wave with a period equal to the peak period and a height of 1.9–2.0 times the significant wave height could reasonably predict the same maximum line tension as the irregular sea state, but a smaller wave height was required to achieve the maximum surge. A single failure in the mooring system increased the maximum tension by 1.55 times the intact tension. For a damaged mooring system, using the same design regular wave condition derived from the survivability analysis with an intact mooring system could result in overestimating the maximum tension by more than 20% in comparison to the tension from the irregular sea state, but a smaller regular wave height or a different regular wave condition representing another sea state could lead to the same maximum tension. This highlighted the importance of investigating survival conditions with a damaged mooring system instead of simply using the same conditions derived for the intact mooring system.     

On dynamic coupling effects between a spar and its mooring lines

The responses of a spar constrained by slack mooring lines to steep ocean waves and tensions in the mooring lines are simulated using two different numerical schemes: a quasi-static approach (SMACOS) and a coupled dynamic approach (COUPLE). The two approaches are the same in computing wave loads on the structure. Their difference is in modeling dynamic forces of mooring lines; that is the dynamic forces are included in the computation of COUPLE but neglected in SMACOS. The numerical simulation is examined against the laboratory measurements of the JIP Spar in a water depth of 318 m. The dynamic coupling effects between the JIP Spar and its mooring lines in different water depths (318, 618 and 1018 m) are investigated by the comparison of numerical simulations obtained using the quasi-static and coupled dynamic approaches. It is found that the damping of mooring lines reduces the slow-drift surge and pitch of the Spar, especially in deep water. The reduction in the amplitude of slow-drift surge can reach about 10% in a water depth of 1018 m. The tension in mooring lines may greatly increase in the wave frequency range when dynamic forces in mooring lines are considered. The mooring-line tension in the wave frequency range predicted by the coupled dynamic approach can be eight times as great as the corresponding prediction by the quasi-static approach in a water depth of 1018 m. This finding may have important implications for the estimation of the fatigue strength and life span of the mooring lines deployed in deep water oceans.     

Experimental investigation on the dynamic response of a moored wave energy device under regular sea waves

This paper attempts to provide a better understanding of the hydrodynamic behaviour of a floating multi-resonant oscillating column wave energy device which combines the concept of a floating breakwater and a wave energy device. Experiments were conducted on a 1:20 scale model of the floating wave energy device moored by six mooring lines to study the dynamics of the device under regular waves for various scopes. The effect of non-dimensionalized wave frequency parameter on the motion response and mooring force are reported and discussed in detail in this paper.     

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.

     

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.     

Sensitivity Analysis of Air Gap Motion with Respect to Wind Load and Mooring System for Semi-Submersible Platform Design

A design of semi-submersible platform is mainly based on the extreme response analysis due to the forces experienced by the components during lifetime. The external loads can induce the extreme air gap response and potential deck impact to the semi-submersible platform. It is important to predict air gap response of platforms accurately in order to check the strength of local structures which withstand the wave slamming due to negative air gap. The wind load cannot be simulated easily by model test in towing tank whereas it can be simulated accurately in wind tunnel test. Furthermore, full scale simulation of the mooring system in model test is still a tuff work especially the stiffness of the mooring system. Owing to the above mentioned problem, the model test results are not accurate enough for air gap evaluation. The aim of this paper is to present sensitivity analysis results of air gap motion with respect to the mooring system and wind load for the design of semi-submersible platform. Though the model test results are not suitable for the direct evaluation of air gap, they can be used as a good basis for tuning the radiation damping and viscous drag in numerical simulation. In the presented design example, a numerical model is tuned and validated by ANSYS AQWA based on the model test results with a simple 4 line symmetrical horizontal soft mooring system. According to the tuned numerical model, sensitivity analysis studies of air gap motion with respect to the mooring system and wind load are performed in time domain. Three mooring systems and five simulation cases about the presented platform are simulated based on the results of wind tunnel tests and sea-keeping tests. The sensitivity analysis results are valuable for the floating platform design.     

Dynamics of large-truncated mooring systems coupled with a catenary moored semi-submersible

With the floating structures pushing their activities to the ultra-deep water,model tests have presented a challenge due to the limitation of the existing wave basins.Therefore,the concept of truncated mooring system is implemented to replace the full depth mooring system in the model tests,which aims to have the same dynamic responses as the full depth system.The truncated mooring system plays such a significant role that extra attention should be paid to the mooring systems with large truncation factor.Three different types of large truncation factor mooring system are being employed in the simulations,including the homogenously truncated mooring system,non-homogenously truncated mooring system and simplified truncated mooring system.A catenary moored semi-submersible operating at 1000 m water depth is presented.In addition,truncated mooring systems are proposed at the truncated water depth of 200 m.In order to explore the applicability of these truncated mooring systems,numerical simulations of the platform’s surge free decay interacting with three different styles of truncated mooring systems are studied in calm water.Furthermore,the mooring-induced damping of the truncated mooring systems is simulated in the regular wave.Finally,the platform motion responses and mooring line dynamics are simulated in irregular wave.All these simulations are implemented by employing full time domain coupled dynamic analysis,and the results are compared with those of the full depth simulations in the same cases.The results show that the mooring-induced damping plays a significant role in platform motion responses,and all truncated mooring systems are suitable for model tests with appropriate truncated mooring line diameters.However,a large diameter is needed for simplified truncated mooring lines.The suggestions are given to the selection of truncated mooring system for different situations as well as to the truncated mooring design criteria.     

法向承力锚拖曳安装过程的整体模拟

法向承力锚(Vertically Loaded Plate Anchor,VLA)是一种适用于深水的新型系泊基础,它的拖曳安装过程直接决定了其系泊定位的精度和锚体的最终承载能力。综合考虑VLA锚体、锚泊线和上部船体的运动,建立了一种新的准静力整体分析模型。模型包括不断贯入海床的锚体、锚泊线(土中反悬链段和水中悬链段)和安装船体三部分,针对确定的锚泊线长度,安装船运动张紧锚泊线进行安装的过程,计算了此过程中锚体的运动轨迹、锚泊线形态和作用在船体上的锚泊线张力矢量的变化,重点分析了不同抛链长度和海床土体的参数对安装过程控制的影响,发现链长与水深之比达到5时,接近极限贯入深度。     

基于有限差分法的复合系泊链缆动力模型及其验证

具有链—缆—链结构的复合系泊链缆因其相对于全钢链质量和成本上的优势而在深水系泊中得以广泛应用。基于细长杆理论采用有限差分法建立了可以考虑链—缆—链结构的复合系泊缆数值模型,将其应用于不同工况下全钢链和复合链缆运动的数值模拟中,并开展了验证。首先,将单根钢链顶张力数值模拟结果与不同工况下的模型试验结果进行了对比,验证了数值预报程序应用于全钢链的准确性。然后,对于复合系泊链缆开展了静刚度和动刚度迭代数值模拟,并将模拟结果同已发表文章中的算例结果进行比较,验证了该数值模型在复合链缆模拟上的准确性。发现对于单根钢锚链的验证,激励半径越大,激励周期越小,一个周期内顶张力幅值及其极差越大,钢链运动就越剧烈。对于链—缆—链式复合系泊链缆的验证,发现静刚度迭代中数值模拟结果与算例结果差异较小;对于动刚度迭代,除个别大幅慢漂工况外,两者有较高的吻合;且激励周期越小,激励半径越大,复合系泊链缆顶张力越大,弹性模量越小,运动越剧烈。对于聚酯缆刚度的敏感性分析,发现改变动刚度经验公式参数的情况下,杨氏模量的静刚度迭代和动刚度迭代结果误差分别最大达到了60.81%和68.21%,因此合成纤维材料特性对复合系泊链...     

聚酯系缆损伤对绷紧式系泊系统动力响应影响的数值分析

由于聚酯缆绳具备优异的力学性能,促使以其为主体系缆的绷紧式系泊系统得以广泛应用和发展。但聚酯系缆具有复杂的黏弹性和黏塑性,且由于在安装和使用过程中可能产生不同程度的损伤,使得聚酯系缆的动刚度特性发生演变,从而对系泊系统的动力响应产生直接影响。以一系泊于1 020 m水深的Spar平台为例,运用ABAQUS软件建立了由聚酯缆绳组成的系泊系统有限元模型,并利用ABAQUS子程序将损伤缆绳动刚度经验公式进行导入计算,以更好地反映系缆真实的动刚度变化。基于该有限元模型,计算了在相同水流、波浪工况下,不同损伤度、不同损伤系缆的系缆张力历程和平台的横荡、纵荡位移响应,分析了不同损伤度、不同损伤系缆对系缆张力及平台位移的影响。这些成果对把握绷紧式系泊系统在聚酯系缆有损伤情况下的非线性动力响应及其安全应用具有重要的参考价值。     

Full Coupled Effects of Hull, Mooring and Risers Model in Time Domain Based on an Innovative Deep Draft Multi-Spar

The coupled hull, mooring and riser analysis techniques in time domain are widely recognized as the unique approach to predict the accurate global motions. However, these complex issues have not been perfectly solved due to a large number of nonlinear factors, e.g. forces nonlinearity, mooring nonlinearity, motion nonlinearity and so on. This paper investigates the coupled effects through the numerical uncoupled model, mooring coupled model and fully coupled model accounting mooring and risers based on a novel deep draft multi-spar which is especially designed for deepwater in 2009. The numerical static-offset, free-decay, wind-action tests are executed, and finally the three hours simulations are conducted under 100-year return period of GOM conditions involving wave, wind and current actions. The damping contributions, response characteristics and mooring line tensions are emphatically studied.     

Design of Mooring System for Oil Storage Vessels

The floating oil storage system has been proposed as a new facility for Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in China. Mooring is one of the key technologies to ensure the safety, reliability, and performance of the oil storage system. This paper describes the concept, analysis, design and reliability of the mooring system. For mooring system design of these oil vessels, analysis is essential of the behavior of the vessel in connection with mooring facilities of nonlinear resilience. A nonlinear mathematical model for analyzing a moored vessel is established and solved. Some results of numerical simulations are presented. Assessment of the safety regarding the mooring system in terms of failure probability is carried out. Another simulation model for calculating the failure probability of the mooring system is proposed. The design parameters that have an influence on the characteristics of the failure probability have been identified. The simulation results show that the mooring system has an annual reliab     

Fully Coupled Effects of Hull, Mooring and Risers Model in Time Domain Based on An Innovative Deep Draft Multi-Spar

The coupled hull, mooring and riser analysis techniques in time domain are widely recognized as the unique approach to predict the accurate global motions. However, these complex issues have not been perfectly solved due to a large number of nonlinear factors, e.g. forces nonlinearity, mooring nonlinearity, motion nonlinearity and so on. This paper investigates the coupled effects through the numerical uncoupled model, mooring coupled model and fully coupled model accounting mooring and risers based on a novel deep draft multi-spar which is especially designed for deepwater in 2009. The numerical static-offset, free-decay, wind-action tests are executed, and finally three hours simulations are conducted under 100-year return period of GOM conditions involving wave, wind and current actions. The damping contributions, response characteristics and mooring line tensions are emphatically studied.     

Influence of Active Control Strategy on the Motion Compensation at the Truncated Point of Mooring Line

The maximum predicting error of the commonly used passive truncated mooring system method may reach 30% due to the difference of dynamic characteristics between the truncated and full-depth mooring line. In this paper, the experimental strategy called three-parameter (displacement, velocity and acceleration) active control method at the truncated point of mooring line is established to implement the synchronous equivalent of motion and force, and the realization of active truncated mooring system for model test is studied theoretically. The influences of three-parameter and one-parameter (displacement) active control strategies on the compensation effects are compared by numerical study. The results show that the established three-parameter active control method can feasibly realize the static and dynamic equivalent of truncated and full-depth mooring system, laying a good foundation for the following physical model test of active truncated mooring system.