Time and frequency domain coupled analysis of deepwater floating production systems

The dynamic analysis of a deepwater floating structure is complicated by the fact that there can be significant coupling between the dynamics of the floating vessel and the attached risers and mooring lines. Furthermore, there are significant nonlinear effects, such as geometric nonlinearities, drag forces, and second order (slow drift) forces on the vessel, and for this reason the governing equations of motion are normally solved in the time domain. This approach is computationally intensive, and the aim of the present work is to develop and validate a more efficient linearized frequency domain approach. To this end, both time and frequency domain models of a coupled vessel/riser/mooring system are developed, which each incorporate both first and second order motions. It is shown that the frequency domain approach yields very good predictions of the system response when benchmarked against the time domain analysis, and the reasons for this are discussed. It is found that the linearization scheme employed for the drag forces on the risers and mooring lines yields a very good estimate of the resulting contribution to slow drift damping.     

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.     

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.     

Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Deepwater Drilling Risers Subjected to Random Loads

Excited by ocean currents, random wave and vessel motion, deepwater drilling risers exhibit significant dynamic response. In time domain, a method is proposed to calculate the nonlinear dynamic response of deepwater drilling risers subjected to random wave and dynamic large displacement vessel motion boundary condition. Structural and functional loads, external and internal pressure, free surface effect of irregular wave, hydrodynamic forces induced by current and wave, as well as wave and low frequency (drift) motion of the drilling vessel are all accounted for. An example is presented which illustrates the application of the proposed method. The study shows that long term drift motion of the vessel has profound effect on the envelopes of bending stress and lateral displacement, as well as the range of lower flex joint angle of the deepwater riser. It can also be concluded that vessel motion is the principal dynamic loading of nonlinear dynamic response for the deepwater risers rather than wave force.     

Dynamic Response Analysis of Risers Subjected to Combined Wave and Current Loading

A dynamic response analysis in the frequency domain is presented for risers subjected to combined wave and current loading. Considering the effects of current, a modified wave spectrum is adopted to compute the linearized drag force. An additional drag force convolution term is added to the linearized drag force spectrum, therefore the error is reduced which arises from the truncation of higher order terms in the drag force auto-correlation function. An expression of linearized drag force spectrum is given taking the relative velocity into account. It is found that the additional term is a fold convolution integral. In this paper dynamic responses of risers are investigated, while the influence of floater motion on risers is considered. The results demonstrate that the accuracy of the present method reaches the degree required in time domain analysis.     

Coupled dynamic analysis of a mini TLP: Comparison with measurements

The dynamically coupled interaction between the hull of a floating platform and its risers and tendons plays an important role in the global motions of the platform and the tension loads in the tendons and risers. This is an especially critical design issue in the frequency ranges outside the wave frequencies of significant energy content. This study examines the importance of this coupled dynamic interaction and the effectiveness of different approaches for their prediction. A numerical code, named COUPLE, has been developed for computing the motions and tensions pertaining to a moored floating structure positioned and restrained by its mooring/tendon and riser systems. In this study the experimentally measured motions of a mini-TLP are compared with those computed using COUPLE and alternative predictions based upon quasi-static analysis. The comparisons confirm that COUPLE is able to predict the dynamic interaction between the hull and its tendon and riser systems while the related quasi-static analysis fails. The comparisons also show that wave loads on the mini-TLP can be accurately predicted using the Morison equation provided that the wavelength of incident waves is much longer than the diameters of the columns and pontoons and that the wave kinematics used are sufficiently accurate. Although these findings are based upon the case of a mini-TLP, they are expected to be relevant to a wide range of floating or compliant deepwater structures.     

Coupling Effect of Riser on Integrated FPS in Deepwater Area

The main challenge in predicting global responses of floating vessels in deepwater and ultra-deepwater areas comes from the system's coupled effect.In this paper,the coupled approach is used to analyze effects of riser on floating system in deepwater.The analysis results show that the coupling effects of risers will mainly affect the low frequency (LF) motions of the system.That is because risers will provide the system with a significant low frequency (LF) damping which will vary with the sea states.Under ...     

Nonlinear Random Motion Analysis of A Tension Leg Platform Considering the Set-down Motion of A Floating Body

The dynamic analysis of a Tension Leg Platform (TLP) in random wave is investigated by considering the set-down of a floating body. The nonlinear restoring stiffness is derived with the set-down motion of a floating body and the coupled motion of the tension leg and platform and the differential equations of the motion are established. The study focuses on the influence of the set-down motion on the nonlinear response of the platform. By considering different significant wave heights and currents, motion responses of the platform are calculated and compared. The analysis shows that the set-down motion significantly increases the heave motion with low frequency and the equilibrium position of the heave motion with the set-down motion is much lower than that without set-down motion. The results in this paper indicate that the set-down motion has a major impact on the safety of the platform inproduction operation, and it is also a threat to the strength of tension legs and risers.     

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.     

Extending a time/frequency domain hybrid method for riser fatigue analysis

Fully coupled time domain analysis of a floating system is rigorous but time-consuming, thus an efficient hybrid method was developed in a prior work. The method simulates the coupled slow-drift responses in the time domain and analyzes the wave-frequency dynamics in the frequency domain. The hybrid method was shown to compare well with time domain analysis in predicting the mean-square vessel motions and line tensions. In this paper, the hybrid method is extended for the fatigue analysis of moorings and risers. The fatigue damage thus calculated is found to closely agree with the result from time domain analysis in conjunction with rainflow counting. Several spectral fatigue techniques are also compared, and these methods are significantly less accurate, thus attesting to the complexity of the problem.     

Coupled dynamic analysis for wave interaction with a truss spar and its mooring line/riser system in time domain

A full time-domain analysis program is developed for the coupled dynamic analysis of offshore structures. For the hydrodynamic loads, a time domain second order method is developed. In this approach, Taylor series expansions are applied to the body surface and free-surface boundary conditions, and the Stokes perturbation procedure is then used to establish the corresponding boundary value problems with time-independent boundaries. A higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM) is developed to calculate the velocity potential of the resulting flow field at each time step. The free-surface boundary condition is satisfied to the second order by fourth order Adams–Bashforth–Moultn method. An artificial damping layer is adopted on the free surface to avoid the wave reflection. The mooring-line/tendon/riser dynamics are based on the rod theory and the finite element method (FEM), with the governing equations described in a global coordinate system. In the coupled dynamic analysis, the motion equation for the hull and dynamic equations for mooring-lines/tendons/risers are solved simultaneously using the Newmark method. The coupled analysis program is applied for a truss Spar motion response simulation. Numerical results including motions and tensions at the top of mooring-lines/risers are presented, and some significant conclusions are derived.     

Dynamic Analysis of Semi-Submersible Production Platform Under the Failure of Mooring Lines

This paper quantitatively studies the transient dynamic response of a semi-submersible production platform with the loss of one or several positioning mooring lines.A semi-submersible platform,production risers,and positioning mooring lines are all included in the numerical simulation.Increased motion of the semi-submersible platform,tension variation of the remaining mooring lines/risers and the risk of mooring line or riser clashing are all investigated through fully coupled time-domain analysis.Combined environmental loads are selected from irregular waves and the steady current varying from very rough to extreme sea conditions.Three dimension radiation/diffraction theories and Morison’s equation are applied to calculate first-order wave force and second-order mean drift force of floating semi-submersible platform.Nonlinear time-domain finite element methods are employed to analyze the behavior of mooring lines and risers.Results show that the failure of mooring lines seriously reduce the platform’s stability performance.The tension of the rest lines is also increased accordingly.Remaining lines which are closer to the failed lines will have larger tension increase to compensate.Line-Line distance provides practical information for the risk of clashing investigation.     

超大型和大型半潜浮式海上风力机动力响应对比

以超大型风力机(DTU 10 MW)为研究对象,对现有的大型(NREL 5 MW)无撑杆半潜浮式风力机支撑平台进行放大设计,用于支撑超大型风力机,基于气动-水动-伺服-弹性全耦合计算模型,根据设定的典型工况,使用FAST软件对超大型和大型无撑杆的半潜浮式风力机系统进行时域耦合分析,并依据计算结果对超大型和大型浮式风力机系统的运动响应和结构动力反应等特性进行对比分析。研究发现:半潜浮式风力机大型化后,气动荷载效应对风力机系统的激励作用更为突出,使得浮式平台运动由风荷载激励的低频共振反应比例增大,波频运动比例减小,这也导致由浮式平台低频运动激励的锚链张力反应增大。此外,高倍的飞轮转动频率对大型半潜浮式风力机叶片、塔架结构的激励作用较超大型半潜浮式风力机更为显著。     

深海采矿转场工况平台—水下系统耦合动力响应特性研究

针对水深6.0 km深海采矿装备,研究其转场工况平台—水下系统耦合动力响应特性。建立深海采矿平台—输浆管—中继站一体化耦合动力模型,其中采用有限元方法离散输浆管,采用势流理论计算平台水动力,基于Kalman滤波对动力定位系统进行参数整定,优化动力定位系统推力。考虑动力定位系统,计算水动力和采矿平台—输浆管—中继站的频域响应和平台—水下系统耦合时域运动响应,计算得到了平台时域运动响应、水下系统动力响应及动力定位系统推力响应。结果表明：建立的一体化耦合动力分析模型是可行的,可以有效预报平台及水下系统响应;转场0°浪向动力定位系统可以有效控制平台运动;中继站运动较小,输浆管轴力较大,建议将输浆管的浮力材料移动到流速较小的水下范围,可降低拖曳力,有利于输浆管的强度性能。     

Hull/mooring/riser coupled dynamic analysis and sensitivity study of a tanker-based FPSO

A computer program is developed for hull/mooring/riser coupled dynamic analysis of a tanker-based turret-moored FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) in waves, winds, and currents. In this computer program, the floating body is modeled as a rigid body with six degrees of freedom. The first- and second-order wave forces, added mass, and radiation damping at various yaw angles are calculated from the second-order diffraction/radiation panel program WAMIT. The wind and current forces for various yaw angles of FPSO are modeled following the empirical method suggested by OCIMF (Oil Company International Marine Forum).

The mooring/riser dynamics are modeled using a rod theory and finite element method (FEM), with the governing equations described in a generalized coordinate system. The dynamics of hull, mooring lines, and risers are solved simultaneously at each time step in a combined matrix for the specified connection condition. For illustration, semi-taut chain-steel wire-chain mooring lines and steel catenary risers are employed and their effects on global FPSO hull motions are investigated. To better understand the physics related to the motion characteristics of a turret-moored FPSO, the role of various hydrodynamic contributions is analyzed and assessed including the effects of hull and mooring/riser viscous damping, second-order difference-frequency wave-force quadratic transfer functions, and yaw-angle dependent wave forces and hydrodynamic coefficients. To see the effects of hull and mooring/riser coupling and mooring/riser damping more clearly, the case with no drag forces on those slender members is also investigated. The numerical results are compared with MARIN's wave basin experiments.     

立管对深水半潜式生产平台定位性能影响研究

基于三维频域势流理论,计算船体的水动力参数;采用动态耦合方法分析了深海半潜式生产平台各系统之间的相互作用特征,研究了立管系统对锚泊系统定位能力的影响。计算结果表明,立管系统在一定程度上增加了整个系统的刚度,其所受的附加质量和阻尼可降低平台的低频响应,从而降低平台的偏移和系泊缆的张力;海流将增大立管上的拖曳力,使平台偏移更远,锚索上的张力更大;立管系统对锚泊系统定位性能的最终影响需综合考虑多种因素的叠加。对目标平台而言,由于服役海域的流速较大,对立管的拖曳作用较为明显。因此,为确保平台的安全性,当服役海域流速较大时,带有多立管的平台,其锚泊系统的设计应考虑立管的影响。     

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.     

Comparisons of internal solitary wave and surface wave actions on marine structures and their responses

In this paper, a time-domain numerical model is established for computing the action of internal solitary wave on marine structures and structure motion responses. For a cylindrical structure, its side and bottom are discretized by pole and surface elements, respectively. The drag and inertial forces in the perpendicular direction of the structure are computed by the Morison equation from the pole elements, and the Froude–Krylov force in the axial direction of the structure due to internal wave motion is computed by integration of the dynamic pressure over the surface elements. The catenary theory is used to analyze the reaction force due to mooring lines, and the motion equation of the marine structure is solved by the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method in the time domain. The model is used to calculate the interaction of the internal solitary wave with a Spar platform with mooring system, and the surface wave action with the platform has also been computed by a frequency-domain boundary element method for comparison. Through the comparison based on a practical internal wave and surface wave states, it can be concluded that the internal wave force on the structure is only 9% of the one due to surface waves. However, the motion response due to the internal wave is much greater than the one due to the surface waves. It shows that the low-frequency effect of internal solitary waves is a great threat to the safety of marine structures.     

国外深水钢悬链线立管研究发展现状

介绍国外在新型深水立管系统--钢悬链线立管关键技术方面的研究发展现状,论述浮体一、二阶运动对钢悬链线立管疲劳寿命的影响、浮体升沉运动对钢悬链线立管触地点疲劳寿命的影响;钢悬链线立管与海底相互作用机制的实验研究及结果;钢悬链线立管涡致振动与疲劳的研究现状.并简要论述钢悬链线立管触地点问题的研究结论.     

基于非线性数学模型的半潜式平台共振运动特性研究

共振运动是深海浮式平台设计的关键考虑因素之一,对海洋平台的作业具有重要影响。采用半潜式平台运动的非线性耦合数学模型,考虑浮筒和横撑出入水以及垂荡、横摇和纵摇运动耦合对平台浮力和恢复力的影响,研究半潜式平台非线性共振运动特性,以及不规则波浪参数对运动的影响。研究表明:在非线性耦合运动和浮力变化的影响下,半潜式平台纵摇和垂荡运动的固有周期会随运动幅值的增大而逐渐减小,且最终趋于稳定,对纵摇运动周期的影响更为显著;非线性效应会使半潜式平台产生显著的低频纵摇共振响应,以及共振频率漂移的现象,且受随机种子和波浪周期的影响较小。