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.     

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.     

Fatigue reliability analysis of mooring system for fish cage

Fish cages in the open sea are exposed to cycle loads due to irregular wave climate during their service life, and thus the fatigue reliability assessment of mooring system should be conducted to ensure the safe operation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the fatigue failure probability of mooring system for fish cage. Numerical simulation of net cage in random waves is performed and the time dependent approach is applied to conduct the fatigue reliability analysis of shackle chains based on S-N curve method. The sensitivity analysis of fatigue reliability of mooring line to the uncertainty of random variables in the fatigue limit state is conducted. In addition, the system reliability for mooring system is analyzed and the effect of the initial pretension and safety factor on system reliability is investigated. The results indicate that a case without the initial pretension on anchor lines is helpful to decrease the failure probability of mooring system and the safety factor of mooring lines in the current regulation is conservative for the system reliability against fatigue damage.     

Reliability-based comparative study for mooring lines design criteria

The characteristic environmental load effect for the design of mooring systems of floating units can be defined by means of three procedures: (a) the one associated to an extreme sea state with a given return period, (b) the worst one from a set of sea states on a contour line associated to a return period or (c) the extreme one based on response statistics for a long-term period. This work presents the result of a reliability-based partial safety factor calibration study for a LRFD mooring line design criteria considering the three approaches mentioned above. The calibration exercise is applied to three FPSOs considering North Sea environmental conditions and different water depths: 200, 800 and 3000 m. The mooring systems investigated take into account mooring lines made up of chains and polyester ropes. It is shown that, among all cases investigated, the design procedure based on the long-term response is the one that presents less scattered reliability indices around the target level.     

Statics of a three component mooring line

Catenary equations are solved for a three component mooring made up of two lines, connected at a point buoy or sinker where water depth and fairlead tension are given. This configuration is typical of deep water moorings and solutions are required for preliminary design of mooring systems and measurement of stability in service of moored floating platforms. The problem is transformed to a single polynomial equation of degree eight and is solved by Laguerre's iteration. Where there is no buoy or sinker the equation reduces to a quartic and can be solved in closed form. Elongation of the lines is shown to be equivalent to small uncertainties in the weights per unit length. The method is computationally efficient.     

Reliability assessment of mooring lines for floating structures considering statistical parameter uncertainties

This work focuses on the effect of parameter uncertainty on the reliability index and on the predictive reliability of mooring lines for floating structures under loading from extreme sea-states. A first-order analytic formulation is developed which takes into consideration uncertain parameters in the statistical models of the maximum dynamic tension and the breaking resistance of the mooring lines. Expressions are derived for the mean and the variance of the reliability index in terms of the mean values and the covariance matrix of the uncertain parameters, and of the sensitivity of the reliability index to the uncertain parameters. The predictive reliability index is expressed in terms of the mean and the variance of the reliability index. The formulation is applied to case studies of catenary and taut-leg mooring lines of an offshore structure and the relative effects of the sources of statistical uncertainty are assessed. The case studies demonstrated the applicability and capability of the formulation to capture and represent the relative contributions of the different sources of uncertainty on the predictive reliability and predictive failure probability, as well as on the statistics of the uncertain reliability index.     

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.     

Quasi-static three-dimensional analysis of suction anchor mooring system

The suction anchor has been widely used in taut or semi-taut mooring systems as an effective and economical solution to anchoring problems. To ensure high reliability, the profile of the mooring cable connecting the fairlead and the pad-eye must be accurately designed. However, previous studies have rarely considered the effect of cable slippage in soil on the mooring behavior, or embedded cables have been studied with an assumed tension at the seabed. This paper, by treating the cable suspended in water and the cable embedded in soil as a single cable, presents a two-dimensional (2D) static model and a three-dimensional (3D) quasi-static model for the cable during pretensioning and in service, respectively. The two models take into account the comprehensive effects of ocean currents, soil resistance and cable elasticity, all of which are critical for the design of a mooring system. Three examples are analyzed using the models and some useful conclusions are drawn.     

On the estimation of mooring line characteristic resistance for reliability analysis

The main aim of this work is to derive a correct formulation for the characteristic resistance of a mooring line segment with lognormally distributed component resistances and substitute an equation proposed by Vazquez-Hernandez et al. [Vazquez-Hernandez AO, Ellwanger GB, Sagrilo LVS. Reliability-based comparative study for mooring lines design criteria. Appl Ocean Res 2006; 28(6):398–406] in a paper published in this journal, which is not correct. The mooring line is considered as a series system and the resistances of individual components of a line segment are statistically independent and identically distributed; furthermore, the case of normally distributed component resistances is also discussed. A comparison with the corresponding equation proposed by DNV-OS-E301 is given. Results show that the formula proposed by Vazquez-Hernandez et al. [Vazquez-Hernandez AO, Ellwanger GB, Sagrilo LVS. Reliability-based comparative study for mooring lines design criteria. Appl Ocean Res 2006; 28(6):398–406] overestimates quite significantly the characteristic resistance of a mooring line segment.     

Initial attack of large-scaled tsunami on ship motions and mooring loads

In this paper, we propose a numerical simulation procedure of moored ship motions due to initial attack of large-scaled tsunamis and investigate the effects on the motions and mooring loads. The effect of methodology on selection of tsunami wave components and of the drag forces are then considered by using the numerical simulation method, applying to several case studies for LNG-carrier. Large ship motions and excessive mooring loads beyond the safe working loads are induced by the resonant tsunami wave components in the sway and surge motions and drag forces.     

单点系泊FPSO气隙预报的时域和频域分析

以单点系泊的FPSO为研究对象,Matlab软件为计算工具,在百年一遇的极限海况下,采用频域和时域方法对FPSO的气隙进行了数值模拟。针对频域计算结果,预报FPSO在不同浪向下的上浪危险点,并基于时域和频域计算结果,比较FPSO的气隙预报的差异。分析表明:频域方法能够用来快速预测气隙危险点的位置,但是会相对低估各个上浪分析点处的气隙高度值,而且无法考虑风标效应,频域方法无法模拟FPSO在实际环境中真实的气隙变化过程,这会高估在横浪下的FPSO的危险性。     

超深水混合缆绷紧式系泊系统非线性循环动力分析

由于高强聚乙烯(HMPE)和聚酯(polyester)缆绳具有各自独特的材料性能,因此提出在超深水绷紧式系泊系统中,采用高强聚乙烯和聚酯组成的混合缆作为系缆。以一系泊在超深水处的FPSO为例,系缆分别采用聚酯缆绳、高强聚乙烯缆绳以及混合缆。比较了循环载荷作用下,不同绷紧式系泊系统的动力响应。分析表明,在超深水中采用混合缆能够设计出合宜刚度的系泊系统,使系泊系统既有保持海洋浮式结构物在平衡位置的能力,又有风暴载荷下良好的生存能力。较理想的混合缆构型是:在靠近海底部分,采用高强聚乙烯缆绳;而在靠近海面部分,采用聚酯缆绳。这些认识对混合缆应用于超深水绷紧式系泊系统具有重要的参考价值。     

水深对软刚臂单点系泊FPSO动力响应的影响

系泊系统的定位能力是浅水油田作业的软刚臂式单点系泊FPSO安全作业的重要保障,为研究不同水深/吃水比下单点系泊系统的受力性能,针对一艘16万吨级软刚臂单点系泊FPSO,在线性三维势流理论的基础上,基于多体动力学方法,建立FPSO-系泊腿-软刚臂的耦合模型,采用Newman近似法和Pinkster近似法分析了FPSO所受二阶波浪力,在时域内计算了不同水深/吃水比对系泊系统动力响应性能的影响。结果表明,随着水深/吃水比的增加,Newman近似法计算得到二阶波浪力先增大后减小,引起单点系泊系统载荷先增大后减小;而Pinkster近似法计算得到的二阶波浪力逐渐减下,引起单点载荷逐渐减下。在浅水条件下,Pinkster近似法具有较好的适用性,Newman近似法严重低估了FPSO所受的二阶波浪力;在深水条件下,Newman近似法能满足工程计算的要求;适用两种方法的临界水深/吃水比为1.64。     

Neural networks in the dynamic response analysis of slender marine structures

Risers and anchor lines play important roles in offshore oil exploitation activities nowadays. For this reason the proper analysis and design of such slender structures has been of a paramount interest. The principal characteristics to be accounted for in riser and mooring line analysis are the severe nonlinearities involved and the random dynamic effects associated. The Finite Element Method (FEM) is an essential step to cope with this kind of analysis. But the use of the FEM can be computationally very expensive for the solution of the resultant nonlinear differential equations of motion, because the time-domain integration should produce sufficiently long response time-histories using small time-steps in order to obtain reliable time-series statistics of any structural response parameter, e.g., top tension in an anchor line or stresses occurring at a critical section in a steel catenary riser (SCR). This paper presents a very efficient hybrid Artificial Neural Network (ANN)–Finite Element Method (FEM) procedure to perform a nonlinear mapping of the current and past system excitations (inputs) to produce subsequent system response (output) for the random dynamic analysis of mooring lines and risers. Firstly, a quite short FEM-based time-domain response simulation is generated. Then, an ANN is used to predict the remaining structural response time-history simulation. The hybrid ANN–FEM approach can be very efficient for predicting long response time-histories. It has been observed that a 3 h response time-history can accurately be obtained with approximately the computational cost of a 500 s one, i.e., 20 times faster than a complete simulation using finite element-based solution. Roughly, this can represent a reduction of about a dozen of hours of computer time for a single mooring line analysis and about two dozens of hours (or more) for a single SCR analysis, both belonging to a deep-water floating unit.     

深水半潜式平台张拉锚泊系统失效分析

针对深水半潜式平台在极端工况下张拉锚泊系统失效情况,基于板锚失效上拔过程中位移与承载力的关系曲线,提出在AQWA软件中用非线性锚缆模拟板锚走锚过程的方法,对深水半潜式平台张拉锚泊系统在百年一遇工况下断锚、走锚情况的平台响应、锚缆拉锚力及最大缆张力进行分析。研究表明:断锚时各锚链拉力瞬变,平台迅速发生大距离偏移;走锚时随着板锚的拔出各锚链上的拉力逐渐增大,平台位置逐渐偏移,最后达到平衡状态。单缆断锚时,迎浪向5号锚缆拉力最大;单缆断锚且单锚走锚时,3、6号锚缆拉锚力最大。失效缆超过一根时,平台偏移和单缆最大缆张力均超出规范要求,同时其它锚缆最大拉锚力极有可能出现超过板锚极限承载力的情况,最终造成整个锚泊系统破坏。     

Characteristic of tsunami force acting on shelter with mooring

Tsunami shelter has been designed and built as a refuges in case tsunami occurs. In recent year, different kinds of tsunami shelter have been proposed and developed, which is either a building type or a floating one. The main purpose of this research is to propose a new type of tsunami shelter with elastic mooring in comparison with a fixed type of shelter and to investigate tsunami force acting on the shelter and motions due to tsunami wave. Three different kinds of tsunami shelter were compared, rectangular, trapezoid and streamline type, with two conditions such as fixed on the ground and floating with elastic mooring. To compute interaction between run-up tsunami wave and the tsunami shelters with mooring, the numerical model has been developed by using particle based method, Smooth Particle Hydrodynamic (SPH) coupling with Extended Discrete Element Method (EDEM) for elastic mooring. Based on the validation of tsunami force and shelter motions with experimental results, the numerical results indicated that the model can simulate interactions between tsunami wave and shelter in fixed and mooring case. The result also shows that the tsunami force on the fixed tsunami shelter can be higher than that on the tsunami shelter with elastic mooring and then the mooring system can reduce tsunami force, 35% for averaged value and 50% for maximum one and the surge and pitch motions can be also reduced. The tsunami shelter with elastic mooring system could be a useful option for evacuating from tsunami attacking.     

随机激励下非线性海洋结构物响应分析方法研究进展

对在随机载荷作用下非线性海洋结构物的运动响应分析的各种方法进行了综述,对有些方法的基本原理做了阐述,并指出一些最新的研究进展和今后进一步研究的方向。     

海塘越浪量风险分析

根据现有规范公式计算的海塘越浪量存在一定程度的风险,它主要来自越浪量计算参数的不确定性。对影响海塘越浪量计算不确定性的3种主要因素进行了分析,在此基础上给出了用M on te C arlo方法进行海塘越浪量风险模拟的步骤。一个实例海塘的计算结果表明:按《浙江省海塘工程技术规定》(1999)公式计算的海塘越浪量存在很大的不确定性,海塘越浪量分布在0.044~0.069 m3/(s.m),大于最大允许海塘越浪量[0.05 m3/(s.m)]的概率为88.93%。因此,对重要海塘的越浪量进行物理模型试验验证是十分必要的。     

Effects of mooring line drag damping on response statistics of vessels excited by first- and second-order wave forces

The drag-induced damping in a mooring cable due to combined first- and second-order wave excited motion of a moored vessel has been determined by statistical linearisation. A dynamic stiffness approach developed elsewhere is used to deal with the dynamics of the mooring cables. The power spectral densities of low- and wave-frequency responses are obtained which clearly show the influence of mooring line damping. The non-Gaussian probability density functions (pdf) and expected crossing rates of vessel responses and dynamic cable tensions are determined using the Kac–Seigert technique, and the influence of drag damping is highlighted.     

Efficient estimation of extreme response of drag-dominated offshore structures by Monte Carlo simulation

The paper describes a novel approach to the problem of estimating the extreme response statistics of a drag-dominated offshore structure exhibiting a pronounced dynamic behaviour when subjected to harsh weather conditions. It is shown that the key quantity for extreme response prediction is the mean upcrossing rate function, which can be simply extracted from simulated response time histories. A commonly adopted practice for obtaining adequate extremes for design purposes requires the execution of 20 or more 3-h time domain analyses for several extreme sea states. For early phase considerations, it would be convenient if extremes of a reasonable accuracy could be obtained based on shorter and fewer simulations. The aim of the work reported in the present paper has therefore been to develop specific methods which make it possible to extract the necessary information about the extreme response from relatively short time histories.The method proposed in this paper opens up the possibility to predict simply and efficiently both short-term and long-term extreme response statistics. The results presented are based on extensive simulation results for the Kvitebjørn jacket structure, in operation on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Specifically, deck response time histories for different sea states simulated from an MDOF model were used as the basis for our analyses.