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.     

Response-based method for determining the extreme behaviour of floating offshore platforms

The accurate prediction of extreme excursion and mooring force of floating offshore structures due to multi-variete environmental conditions which requires the joint probability analysis of environmental conditions for the worst case situation is still impractical as the processing of large amount of met-ocean data is required. On the other hand, the simplified multiple design criteria (e.g. the N-year wave with associated winds and currents) recommended by API known as traditional method does lead neither to the N-year platform response nor to the N-year mooring force. Therefore, in order to reduce the level of conservatism as well as uncertainties involved in the traditional method the response-based method can be used as a reliable alternative approach. In this paper this method is described. In order to perform the calculations faster using large databases of sea states, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is designed and employed. In the paper the response-based method is applied to a 200,000 tdw FPSO and the results are discussed.     

一种适用于深水浮式海洋平台结构的新型系泊系统设计及水动力性能分析

作为浮式结构最常采用的两种系泊方式,悬链式系泊和张紧式系泊皆存在不足。本文提出了一种新型系泊系统,并以一深水FPSO为例,采用完全时域耦合分析方法,对不同工作水深情况下的浮体及新型系泊系统的运动性能进行了数值模拟,并将该新型系泊系统的仿真结果与传统的张紧式系泊系统进行了比较,分析了新型系泊系统在浮体运动性能、缆索张力等方面的改善,同时探讨了该新型系泊系统的最佳工作水深。     

Prediction of Long-Term Extreme Response of Fish Cage Using Environmental Contour Method

The fish cage design requires accurate predictions of long-term extreme loads and responses. Compared with the time-consuming full long-term analysis method integrating all the probability distribution of the short-term extremes,the environmental contour method gains much attention in predicting the long-term extreme values due to the less computational effort. This paper investigates the long-term extreme response of a fish cage using the environmental contour method. The fish cage is numerically simulated based on the lumped-mass method and the curved beam theory. Based on the one-dimensional(1D) and two-dimensional(2D) environmental contour, the extreme responses,including the surge and heave motions, mooring force, and vertical bending of the floater, are predicted for different return periods and compared with the full long-term analysis results. Results indicate that the 1D method greatly underestimates the extreme values. The 2D environmental contour method with a higher percentile level, namely90%, provides reasonable estimations and seems to be suitable for the long-term value analysis. Sensitivity studies show that the mooring arrangement and the bending stiffness have great effects on the bending moment and the mooring force and the mooring line pre-tension has minor effects on the fish cage response.     

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.     

A straightforward approach for using single time domain simulations to assess characteristic extreme responses

Short-term wave design approach of marine structures, using nonlinear time domain simulations, is a design procedure that is recognized by various modern standard codes. One of the most challenging points of this approach is the evaluation of the characteristic extreme values for response parameters used in the design check equations. The most straightforward and recommended way to evaluate a response characteristic value is by fitting an extreme value probability distribution to the N-sample of extreme values extracted from N independent time domain simulations with duration equal to the short-term period indicated by the code, which is usually taken as 3 h. However, this procedure would not be practical for some types of marine structures, such as risers and mooring lines, under numerous design load cases and demanding huge finite element models. A more feasible approach would be to assess the response extreme value distribution using only a single short-term time domain simulation with duration shorter than 3 h. But reduced time simulations always introduce some additional statistical uncertainty into the extreme values estimates. This paper discusses a workable way of properly taking into account the statistical uncertainty associated with the simulation length in the assessment of a characteristic short-term extreme response value based on a single time series.     

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.     

八角形FPSO与穿梭油轮串靠外输中碰撞风险分析

针对300 m作业水深下的八角形FPSO,提出采用穿梭油轮串靠的外输作业方案,研究外输过程中穿梭油轮与FPSO之间由于过分纵荡运动而引起的碰撞风险发生概率。建立由八角形FPSO及其系泊系统、穿梭油轮、系泊大缆等组成的浮式多体系统分析模型,在外输海况条件下,得到穿梭油轮与FPSO间距的时历曲线,结合极值理论,对过分纵荡运动进行预报,进而对外输系统的碰撞风险进行分析;揭示海流的方向变化对于外输系统碰撞风险的影响规律。     

双体波浪能装置运动及系泊系统特性研究

波浪能是一种清洁、可再生的新型能源,波浪能发电装置在海上作业时会受到变化的风、浪、流载荷作用,需要系泊系统保证其稳性和安全性。以适用于中国南海500 m水深的振荡双浮体式波浪能发电装置为研究对象,运用频域计算与时域计算结合的方法对双浮体及其系泊系统的运动响应和动力载荷进行计算,获取极端海况与工作海况下浮体运动和系泊缆索张力的时历数据。参照BV船级社NR-493规定的海上浮式结构物系泊安全系数规范,对3种系泊方案进行安全校核和对比分析。选定其中一种系泊方案,通过改变系泊系统以及能量转换器（PTO）的参数,探究参数变化对双体波浪能装置运动响应以及系泊系统特性的影响,为类似应用于深水的双体波浪能装置系泊系统的设计提供参考。     

新型圆筒型FPSO串靠外输作业耦合水动力响应分析

针对1 000 m水深作业的新型圆筒型浮式生产储卸油系统（FPSO）,选择多点系泊FPSO和穿梭油轮串靠外输方案,分析串靠方案在中国南海的可行性。FPSO和穿梭油轮作业时两者之间相互影响的研究较为重要,通过ANSYS-AQWA建立水动力耦合分析模型,基于多浮体水动力学方法进行时域耦合仿真模拟。在FPSO作业海况下,分析了串靠外输时系泊锚链及系泊大缆的张力特性和两浮体的运动响应,对大缆的长度和刚度参数变化进行了分析。结果表明：串靠外输方案满足新型圆筒型FPSO的作业环境。随着系泊大缆长度增加,其张力最值逐渐减小,FPSO和穿梭油轮的最小间距逐渐增大。两浮体最小距离稳定在83 m左右。随着系泊大缆刚度增加,其张力最值增大,相比于大缆长度,大缆刚度对耦合系统的影响较弱。     

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.

     

圆筒型FPSO优化设计与水动力性能分析

针对圆筒型海上储油装置FPSO垂荡运动性能较差、无法安装干式井口的问题,设计了带延伸筒体与矩形阻尼结构的圆筒型FPSO,根据延伸筒体与矩形阻尼结构是否通海分为两种型式。建立水动力计算模型,比较分析不同延伸筒体和阻尼结构型式对FPSO水动力性能的影响。针对南海作业海域,设计了悬链式系泊系统,基于JONSWAP波浪谱对FPSO的运动进行时域预报,并对系泊系统进行校核。分析结果表明:通海型FPSO垂荡固有周期显著提升,可以错开南海百年一遇谱峰周期,通海型FPSO满足钻井、安装干式井口的运动响应要求,系泊系统系缆张力满足规范要求。     

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.     

基于风洞试验的FPSO风载荷特性研究

当FPSO服役于目标油田时,将受到风浪流的作用力。其中,风力给FPSO一个恒定的静力,使其偏离原来的位置。风力计算在FPSO系泊系统的分析过程中是非常重要的。设计人员常常参考OCIMF进行风力计算,或者参考API规范得出。OCIMF为针对油轮的计算规范,但使用OCIMF计算FPSO风力及流力的方法,与FPSO的适应性仍需要进一步论证。API规范针对海上浮式系统,其计算风流力的方法使用也非常广泛,其原理为将FPSO上部各个模块风力叠加得出。以FPSO风载荷为研究对象,开展了风洞模型试验,获得了典型FPSO风载荷特性曲线,并将试验结果分别与OCIMF结果和API规范计算结果进行对比分析,最终给出FPSO风力计算方法的建议。本数据可用于FPSO的风力计算,也可为FPSO运动、系泊的设计研究提供参考。     

八角形FPSO串靠外输系统耦合动力响应分析

针对100 m作业水深的八角形FPSO,提出采用穿梭油轮串靠的外输方案,研究串靠外输在南海的适用性。建立由八角形FPSO及其系泊系统、穿梭油轮及FPSO与穿梭油轮之间的系泊大缆等组成的浮式多体动力学模型,根据多浮体动力学理论进行耦合时域模拟。在外输海况条件下,分析了串靠连接的环境适应性及研究大缆载荷的响应特性,对连接大缆的长度、刚度等关键参数进行了敏感性分析。研究表明,串靠外输的形式对于八角FPSO具有足够的安全性和可靠性,系泊大缆受到明显的冲击张力,张力的幅值受大缆的长度和刚度影响较大。     

A parametric design study for a semi/SCR system in Northern North Sea

In recent years, offshore reservoirs have been developed in deeper and deeper water environments. Steel catenary risers (SCRs) are being considered in deepwater development such as Northern North Sea. SCRs used in conjunction with a semi-submersible or floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) in deepwater harsh environments present significant design challenges. The large vertical motions at the semi or FPSO induce severe riser response, which results in difficulty meeting strength and fatigue criteria at the hang off and touch down point locations. To improve the understanding of SCR behaviour and increase the confidence in the design of such systems in deepwater harsh environments, a parametric study on a SCR connected to a semi-submersible was carried out in this paper to deal with the factors that mainly influence the loading condition and fatigue life of the riser. Weight-optimized configurations were applied during the course of riser design. Riflex combined with DeepC was the primary analysis tool used for the long-term response of the nonlinear SCR structure simulations, which requires a large amount of computer time. Hence, the parameters affecting the efficiency and accuracy of the simulations have also been studied during the analysis process.     

Effects of wave directionality on extreme response for a long end-anchored floating bridge

Reliable design codes are of great importance when constructing new civil engineering concepts such as floating bridges. Previously only a scarce number of floating bridges have been built in rough wave conditions and only limited knowledge of the extreme environmental conditions and the associated extreme response exists. To form a better design basis an increased understanding of the sensitivity in the structural response towards changes in short-crested sea parameters is needed. Furthermore, acquiring the necessary accuracy in simulated extreme response is often a computationally expensive endeavour and the number of simulations needed is often based on experience. The present study investigates the wave-induced short-term extreme response of a simplified end-anchored floating bridge concept for several wave environments with a return period of 100 years. The study includes convergence of the coefficient of variation for the extreme response for different realization lengths as well as number of realizations. The sensitivity in the structural response towards different main wave directions and spreading exponents is investigated and includes both transverse and vertical displacement response spectra and extreme Von Mises stress in the bridge girder cross-section. The extreme response is based on an accuracy of 2% in the coefficient of variation equivalent to 40 3-h realizations and a low sensitivity in the response is found for natural occurring spreading exponents and for main wave directions within 15° from beam sea.     

新型网箱浮架系统水动力分析及系泊方式研究

设计了一种新型网箱浮架系统,利用SESAM对其进行了频域水动力分析以及考虑不规则波浪、风、流载荷和系泊共同作用的时域耦合分析,并与传统双浮管网箱浮架系统进行了分析对比,得到方形网箱与圆形网箱的水动力特性的差异以及各自的优缺点,对实际中网箱的开发设计有一定的借鉴意义;通过计算,证明新型网箱浮架系统在工作海况能正常工作,在极端海况下也能满足安全性的要求;最后对4种常见系泊方式进行了时域耦合分析,得到了四种系泊方式的系泊特性,对实际工程中系泊方式的选择有一定的参考意义。     

Parametric interpolation method for probabilistic fatigue analysis of steel risers

Slender marine structures such as mooring lines and risers are susceptible to failures due to stress variations coming from environmental actions. Wave, wind and current are random phenomena, and consequently the most adequate methodology to estimate the fatigue damage accumulation on these structures is the probabilistic fatigue analysis. In practice, the estimation of fatigue life requires the numerical simulation of a huge number of loading cases to compute the multi-dimensional integral of the total fatigue damage.This paper presents an efficient approach to compute the long-term fatigue damage of marine structures. The proposed method needs only a few number of numerical simulations to estimate the structure fatigue life. It uses a parametric interpolation procedure to evaluate the fatigue damage for any individual short-term condition (sea state) required in the calculation of the multi-dimensional integral. In this way, the total number of short-term structural analyzes is considerably reduced.The effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method is compared to the full direct integration by means of two comprehensive examples. The first studied case is an idealized theoretical model of a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system under wave loading, and the second one is a Steel Catenary Riser (SCR) connected to a FPSO (Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading floating unit).     

渤海油田浅水软刚臂系泊FPSO触底分析

在线性三维势流理论的基础上,采用时域计算方法对BZ25—1油田16万吨级FPSO不同吃水条件下的碰底情况作了分析研究。数值计算结果与模型试验进行了比较,两者吻合较好,说明应用时域计算方法可以从理论上预报FPSO在浅水中的触底情况。这对我国渤海等浅水海域油田应用FPSO系统进行开发具有一定的意义。