Passive control of offshore jacket platforms

The wave-induced dynamic force is one of the most important excitations to be dealt with in the design of offshore structures. In order to perform a reliable design of an offshore structure, it is important to obtain an exact evaluation of its dynamic response but also to examine the ways of reducing the response. This paper presents the response of offshore jacket platforms installed with energy dissipation devices such as viscoelastic, viscous and friction dampers under wave loading. The offshore jacket platforms are modeled as multi-degrees-of-freedom system provided with dampers at each floor location. The wave forces are modeled as per Morison's equation. The governing equations of motion of the jacket platform with dampers are derived and their solution in the frequency domain is presented. The uni-directional random wave loading is expressed by the Pierson-Muskowitz spectrum. The response of the jacket platform with viscoelastic, viscous and friction dampers is compared with the corresponding response without dampers in order to investigate the effectiveness of the passive control systems. It is observed that the additional dampers add substantial damping to structure and thus favorably control the response of platform structure. Among the various energy dissipation devices used for study, the viscoelastic dampers perform better in comparison to the other dampers. This is due to the fact that the added viscoelastic dampers contribute to increased viscous damping as well as lateral stiffness which reduces the response of the offshore jacket platforms significantly.     

Energy Anaiysis for TMD-Structure Systems Subjected to Impact Loading

This paper investigates the characteristics of reduction of the lateral vibration by use of a Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) for offshore jacket platforms under impact loading. Unlike traditional analysis, the present analysis focuses on the energy concept of TMD/structure systems. In this study, a time domain is taken. The platform is modeled as a simplified single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system by extraction of the first vibration mode of the structure and the excited force is assumed to be impact loading. The energy dissipation and energy transmission of the structure-TMD system are studied. Finally, an optimized TMD design for the modeled platform is demonstrated based on a new type of cost function - maxi-mum dissipated energy by TMD. Results indicate that TMD control is effective in reducing the Standard deviation of the deck motion but less effective in reducing the maximum response under impact loading.     

Reliability-Based Load and Resistance Factors Design for Offshore Jacket Platforms in the Bohai Bay： Calibration on Target Reliability Index

The target reliability index has been effectively used as the best solution to deal with the relationship between the structural safety and the optimal economy in any structural design.However,the target reliability index for offshore jacket platforms based on different sea areas in China has never been calibrated.This paper presents an approach for its calibration,and suggests many kinds of associated load cases.The uncertainties of loads and structural resistance are mainly investigated.The target reliability index for structural components,tubular joints and piles of offshore jacket platforms are discussed respectively in detail.Finally,through the calibrated results from the offshore jacket platforms of QK18-1,JZ20-2,SZ36-1 and BZ28-1 in the Bohai Bay,it is proposed to adopt 2.8 as the target reliability index of offshore jacket platforms in the Bohai Bay for a 25-year design period.The results provide significant reference for the design of offshore jacket platforms.     

Investigation of Allowable Stresses for Fatigue Design of Fixed Offshore Platforms

Fatigue design method is usually used for estimating whether a platform structure meets the requirements of fatigue resistance. It is described in API RP-2A and ZC rules for fixed offshore platforms, in which the allowable stresses for fatigue design are defined. In this paper discussed are the allowable stresses related factors, such as wave climate, structural response, fatigue behaviour of structural members.     

Energy Analysis for TMD-Structure Systems Subjected to Impact Loading

This paper investigates the characteristics of reduction of the lateral vibration by use of a Tuned Mass Damper(TMD) for offshore jacket platforms under impact loading. Unlike traditional analysis, the present analysis focnses on theenergy concept of TMD/structure systems. In this study, a time domain is taken. The platform is modeled as a simplifiedsingle-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system by extraction of the first vibration mode of the structure and the excited force isassumed to be impact loading. The energy dissipation and energy transmission of the structure-TMD system are studied.Finally, an optimized TMD design for the modeled platform is demonstrated based on a new type of cost function - maxi-mum dissipated energy by TMD. Results indicate that TMD control is effective in reducing the standard deviation of thedeck motion but less effective in reducing the maximum response under impact loading.     

Reliability-Based Load and Resistance Factors Design for Offshore Jacket Platforms in the Bohai Bay: Calibration on Target Reliability Index

The target reliability index has been effectively used as the best solution to deal with the relationship between the structural safety and the optimal economy in any structural design. However, the target reliability index for off-shore jacket platforms based on different sea areas in China has never been calibrated. This paper presents an approach for its calibration, and suggests many kinds of associated load cases. The uncertainties of loads and structural resistance are mainly investigated. The target reliability index for structural components, tubular joints and piles of offshore jacket platforms are discussed respectively in detail. Finally, through the calibrated results from the offshore jacket platforms of QK18-1, JZ20-2, SZ36-1 and BZ28-1 in the Bohai Bay, it is proposed to adopt 2.8 as the target reliability index of offshore jacket platforms in the Bohai Bay for a 25-year design period. The results provide significant reference for the design of offshore jacket platforms.     

Dynamic Analysis of A 5-MW Tripod Offshore Wind Turbine by Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction

Fixed offshore wind turbines usually have large underwater supporting structures. The fluid influences the dynamic characteristics of the structure system. The dynamic model of a 5-MW tripod offshore wind turbine considering the pile–soil system and fluid structure interaction (FSI) is established, and the structural modes in air and in water are obtained by use of ANSYS. By comparing low-order natural frequencies and mode shapes, the influence of sea water on the free vibration characteristics of offshore wind turbine is analyzed. On basis of the above work, seismic responses under excitation by El-Centro waves are calculated by the time-history analysis method. The results reveal that the dynamic responses such as the lateral displacement of the foundation and the section bending moment of the tubular piles increase substantially under the influence of the added-mass and hydrodynamic pressure of sea water. The method and conclusions presented in this paper can provide a theoretical reference for structure design and analysis of offshore wind turbines fixed in deep seawater.     

国内外海上风电机组基础结构设计标准浅析

对国内外海上风电机组基础结构设计规范和相关标准进行了对比研究,结合我国海上风电机组基础结构设计开发中遇到的问题,论述海上风电机组基础结构设计中关于安全理念和设计荷载的设计方法和标准;分析对比各国规范对海上风电机组基础结构设计的推荐做法,剖析各国规范的设计理念和方法;比较海上风电机组基础结构与海洋石油平台在设计理念和设计标准方面的异同,并根据海上风电和海洋油气的行业特点,分析海上风电机组基础结构设计规范和海洋石油平台设计规范对于海上风电机组基础结构设计的适用性。在此基础上,基于我国海洋工程技术和海上风电产业的发展水平,提出发展我国海上风电机组基础结构的设计建议,指出我国海上风电开发中应注意和避免发生的问题。     

Dynamic analysis of tension leg platform for offshore wind turbine support as fluid-structure interaction

Tension leg platform (TLP) for offshore wind turbine support is a new type structure in wind energy utilization.The strong-interaction method is used in analyzing the coupled model,and the dynamic characteristics of the TLP for offshore wind turbine support are recognized.As shown by the calculated results:for the lower modes,the shapes are water’s vibration,and the vibration of water induces the structure’s swing;the mode shapes of the structure are complex,and can largely change among different members;the mode shapes of the platform are related to the tower’s.The frequencies of the structure do not change much after adjusting the length of the tension cables and the depth of the platform;the TLP has good adaptability for the water depths and the environment loads.The change of the size and parameters of TLP can improve the dynamic characteristics,which can reduce the vibration of the TLP caused by the loads.Through the vibration analysis,the natural vibration frequencies of TLP can be distinguished from the frequencies of condition loads,and thus the resonance vibration can be avoided,therefore the offshore wind turbine can work normally in the complex conditions.     

海上风电场高桩承台群桩基础平台的设计研究

针对国内海上风电基础设计没有统一的规范及标准,为提升海上风电基础设计建设的水平,通过对东南沿海某海域海上风电基础的设计进行了有限元计算分析论证,验证了群桩高承台结构设计方案的设计方法和设计参数。分析结果表明该设计的最大应力主要发生在塔筒底座与承台接触部位及钢管桩与承台连接段,应在连接部位加强措施处理;基础竖直位移较小,水平位移相对较大;分界部位应力较集中,刚度不能顺畅过渡,可考虑填充碎石土等方法加强。本研究对海上风电基础设计技术的研究与探索,可为将来制定中国海上风电行业标准提供可靠的依据,对中国未来大批量的海上风电能源的开发有着重要意义。     

Reliability Analysis of Ice-Induced Fatigue and Damage in Offshore Engineering Structures

—In Bohai Gulf,offshore and other installations have collapsed by sea ice due to the fatigueand fracture of the main supporting components in the ice environments.In this paper presented are someresults on fatigue reliability of these structures in the Gulf by investigating the distributions of iceparameters such as its floating direction and speed,sheet thickness,compressive strength,ice forces on thestructures,and hot spot stress in the structure.The low temperature,ice breaking modes and componentfatigue failure modes are also taken into account in the analysis of the fatigue reliability of the offshorestructures experiencing both random ice loading and low temperatures.The results could be applied to thedesign and operation of offshore platforms in the Bohai Gulf.     

Wave interaction with tension leg platforms

The design of deep water offshore platforms requires the analysis of wave-structure interaction phenomena which have not been as critical for shallower water platform designs. In the case of tension leg platforms (TLPs) interaction phenomena such as wave run-up on the vertical legs and the amplification of the waves beneath the deck are major design considerations. The research investigation reported here focuses on a series of small scale wave tank tests on four column TLP models examining these phenomena. The role of vertical leg spacing and comparative tests of the TLP models with and without pontoons was investigated. As the vertical legs were moved closer an increase in wave run-up and a shifting of the incident wave period corresponding to the maximum wave upwelling were noted. Comparisons with wave measurements for single cylinders from previous experimental studies and the TLP configurations used in this study are presented. A design formula for estimating wave run-up on TLPs is suggested based upon these experiments. The wave run-up on a leg directly in the wake of another leg is presented. A comparison of the wave upwelling measurements with previously published numerical results are discussed. A wave uplift force model which allows for the inclusion of the experimentally obtained wave upwelling measurements is presented and discussed with regard to the design specification of platform deck elevation.     

Structural monitoring of offshore platforms using impulse and relaxation response

Monitoring offshore platforms, long span bridges, high rise buildings, TV towers and other similar structures is essential for ensuring their safety in service. Continuous monitoring assumes even greater significance in the case of offshore platforms, which are highly susceptible to damage due to the corrosive environment and the continuous action of waves. Also, since a major part of the structure is under water and covered by marine growth, even a trained diver cannot easily detect damage in the structure. In the present work, vibration criterion is adopted for structural monitoring of jacket platforms. Artificial excitation of these structures is not always practicable and ambient excitation due to wind and waves may not be sufficient for collecting the required vibration data. Alternate methods can be adopted for the same purpose, for example, the application of an impact or a sudden relaxation of an applied force for exciting the structure. For jacket platforms, impact can be applied by gently pushing the structure at the fender while relaxation can be accomplished by pulling the structure and then suddenly releasing it using a tug or a supply vessel in both cases. The present study is an experimental investigation on a laboratory model of a jacket platform, for exploring the feasibility of adapting vibration responses due to impulse and relaxation, for structural monitoring. Effects of damage in six members of the platform as well as changes in deck masses were studied. A finite element model of the structure was used to analyze all the cases for comparison of the results as well as system identification. A data acquisition and analysis procedure for obtaining the response signatures of the platform due to the impulse and relaxation procedure was also developed for possible adoption in on-line monitoring of offshore platforms. From the study, it has been concluded that both impulse and relaxation responses are useful tools for monitoring offshore jacket platforms. The present work forms the basis for the development of an automated, on-line monitoring system for offshore platforms, using neural networks.     

典型海上升压站地震储备承载系数研究

海上升压站是海上风电场中不可或缺的组成部分,其结构型式与传统的海上油气平台有所差异,完全套用现有抗震分析方法可能使结构设计不经济。由于地质条件特点不同,国外海上风电场鲜有位于高地震烈度区的案例,因此当前有关海上升压站抗震设计的理论和经验也不充分。针对我国首个位于高地震烈度区内的海上升压站,建立精细化有限元模型,利用非线性静力推覆分析方法,并结合敏感性分析结果与工程实际情况给出其地震储备承载系数的合理化取值,为今后典型海上升压站的抗震设计提供参考与借鉴。     

基于小波变换的固定式海洋平台结构损伤识别方法研究

小波变换在分析非平稳信号方面较傅立叶变换更有效,为了检测出海洋平台结构中裂缝或因刚度降低引起的损伤,对海洋平台的响应信号进行离散小波变换,通过分析变换后的信号是否有突变现象判断结构是否出现损伤,并结合模态应变能法实现了对结构损伤的定位,探讨了传感器位置对识别效果的影响。     

Wave-induced vibration control of offshore jacket platforms through SMA dampers

Since permanent wave-induced vibrations of offshore jacket platforms reduce the service life of the jacket structure and deck equipment and increase the fatigue failure of the welded connections, this research has used SMA (shape memory alloy) dampers to control the jacket platform oscillations. Superelasticity, high durability, and energy dissipation capability make SMA elements good nominees for the design of vibration control devices. In this research, to model the force-displacement hysteretic behavior of SMA elements their idealized multi-linear constitutive model has been implemented and the time history responses of vibration equations have been evaluated by direct integration method. To analyze the SMA damper effects on the vibration suppression of the jacket platforms, a 90 (m) high jacket located 80 (m) deep in water has been selected as a case study. Numerical results have shown that optimized SMA dampers with constant-geometry SMA bars will improve the dynamic behavior of the jacket platform under the action of an extreme regular wave. However, under the action of two irregular waves, SMA dampers with varying-geometry SMA bars will cause significant reduction in the dynamic responses of the jacket platform. The power spectral density function of the deck displacements have shown that the previously mentioned SMA dampers avoid resonance by shifting the natural frequencies of the jacket structure away from the excitation frequencies.     

Cyclic inelastic behavior and analytical modelling of pile–leg interaction in jacket type offshore platforms

Structures in locations susceptible to severe seismic disturbances should be designed properly in order to resist lateral forces induced by earthquake motions. Steel offshore platforms are some of those structures which are built to withstand environmental and accidental loads during oil exploitation operation. Particular attention is being paid to earthquake loads in seismic active areas because it directly influences the capacity of the offshore installations.

In this paper, a small-scaled planar platform has been modelled analytically using nonlinear finite element program, based on an experimental test, conducted simultaneously in order to assess the local and global behavior of pile–leg interaction in Jacket Type Offshore Platforms (JTOPs). A combination of nonlinear beam column elements and fatigue affected elements are used to capture the inelastic cyclic behavior of planar frame as accurately as possible. Results of analytical tests are to be compared with experiments and it is concluded that an analytical approach can be best used for modelling JTOPs with reasonable accuracy regardless of the type and scale of the structure. Moreover, a special study on joints has been carried out and the best model has been selected to simulate brittle behavior of joints resulting from heat affected zone.     

中等水深轻张型张力腿平台型式研究

根据我国海上边际油田的分布特点，100m-300m左右中等水深范围是一个很有开发潜力的海域。运用常规技术已很难在这一海域取得更大的经济效益。而更经济有效地开发这些边际油田对我国来说具有重大意义。本文对适合我国中等水深海域国际油田开发的轻型张力腿平台型式进行了探索，提出了三种轻型张力腿平台，对其运动性能及系索张力进行了比较，以期找适合我国中深水海域边际油田开发的张力腿平台型式。     

极端波浪作用下海上施工栈桥承载性能评估

海上施工栈桥作为一种可以快速装配的施工辅助设施,在跨海大桥建设中得到广泛应用。为研究海上施工栈桥在极端波浪作用下的结构性能,基于波浪增量分析(IWA)理论,提出海上施工栈桥承载性能评估方法。以某在役海上施工栈桥为例,考虑杆件弹塑性和节点局部柔性建立结构非线性分析模型,评估了海上施工栈桥在不同方向极端波浪荷载作用下的结构承载性能及倒塌失效模式。研究表明,随着极端波高逐渐增大,栈桥依次出现首次屈服、塑性铰和倒塌起始三种非线性行为点,结构将依次经历正常使用、可以使用、临近倒塌和倒塌破坏四个承载性能状态;波浪入射方向对于海上施工栈桥的承载性能和倒塌失效模式影响较大;海上施工栈桥的主要薄弱部位位于钢管桩桩底及其与支撑框架下横撑相交的节点处,应在设计中重点关注。     

海洋导管架平台的极限强度分析

海洋导管架平台的极限分析是一项较新的研究课题，随着海上采油事业的飞速发展，它已越来越受到海洋工程设计及维修部门的重视。其研究成果不仅能用于设计结构的应力校核，尚可用于现有平台结构的整体安全估算。本文利用非线性模拟技术及线性分析程序的完美结合。成功地分析计算了受集中哉茶作用的空间框架结构，及受静载荷和环境载荷作用下的真实导管架平台极限强度。