New Method for Predicting the Motion Responses of A Flexible Joint Multi-Body Floating System to Irregular Waves

A new hybrid method of frequency domain and time domain is developed in this paper to predict the motion responses of a flexibly joint multi-body floating system to irregular waves. The main idea of the method is that the three-dimensional frequency method is used to obtain the hydrodynamic coefficients and the response equations are solved in time domain step by step. All the forces can be obtained at the same time. The motions and nonlinear mooring forces of a box type six-body floating system are predicted. A comparison of the theoretical method-based solutions with experimental results has shown good agreement.     

Torsionally Coupled Response Control of Offshore Platform Structures Using Circular Tuned Liquid Column Dampers

In this paper, the control performance is investigated of Circular Tuned Liquid Column Dampers (CTLCD) over torsional response of offshore platform structures excited by ground motions. Based on the equation of motion for the CTLCD-structure system, the optimal control parameters of CTLCD are given through some derivations on the supposition that the ground motion is a stochastic process. The influence of systematic parameters on the equivalent damping ratio of the structures is analyzed with purely torsional vibration and translational-torsional coupled vibration, respectively, The results show that the Circular Tuned Liquid Column Damper (CTLCD) is an effective torsional response control device.     

Velocity and Sediment Concentration Profiles in Sediment-Laden Flows

A theoretical analysis of velocity profiles in sediment-laden flows is presented by means of Prandtl-Karman mixing length theorem. The study shows that the upward velocity of liquid-phase caused by settling sediment leads to the invalidity of the log-law and Rouse equation. The theoretical analysis takes into account the upward velocity and shows: 1) the mean velocity in sediment-laden flows follows the log-law, but the Karman constant reduces in the main flow region, 2) sediment concentration reduces the mixing length of fluid particles, 3) flow resistance reduces with the presence of sediment concentration, and 4) the sediment concentration profile deviates from the well know Rouse equation. The experimental data agree well with the equations derived on the basis of non-zero wall velocity. It is found that the wall-normal velocity should not be neglected for density gradient flows because it induces more than for pure water flows.     

The Lift Forces Acting on a Submarine Composite Pipeline in a Wave-Current Coexisting Field

- A composite pipeline is defined as a main big pipe composed of one or several small pipes. The flow behaviour around a submarine composite pipeline is more complicated than that around a single submarine pipeline. A series model test of composite pipelines in a wave-current coexisting field was conducted by the authors. Both in-line and lift forces were measured, and the resultant forces were also analyzed. The results of lift forces and resultant forces are reported in this paper. It is found that the lift force coefficients for composite pipelines are well related to the KC number. The lift force coefficients for an irregular wave-current coexisting field are smaller than those for a regular wave-current coexisting field. The frequency of lift force is usually twice the wave frequency or higher. The authors test indicates that the resultant forces are about 10 to 20 percent larger than in-line forces (horizontal forces). The effect of water depth is analyzed. Finally, the relationship between lift f     

Pressure Tight Piston Corer ——A New Approach on Gas Hydrate Investigation

A pressure tight sediment samphng technology, which can be introduced into the modification of the piston corer to accommedate the investigation of gas hydrate, is put forward. In this paper, the three basic rules of the technology are analyzed in detail: specimen transferring rule, seal self-tightening rule and semi-active pressure holding rule. Based on these, the structure of the pressure tight piston corer is put forward and its working principle is analyzed. Finally, a pressure tight sediment sampler, to which the same technology is apphed, is researched through experiments. Results show that the sampler based on the above-mentioned theory has a good ability in samphng and in -situ pressure holding.     

An Engineering Computational Method of Calculating Wave Forces on the Mat and Platform''''s Sit-on-Bottom Stability

- In this paper, an engineering method is employed to calculate the horizontal and vertical wave forces on the mat of the submersible platform under Froude-Krylov hypothesis. According to some model tests, appropriate diffraction coefficients are selected. And the results of the formulae given in the paper agree satisfactorily with those experimental data now available. The proposed computational method is effective and convenient to use in evaluating the horizontal and vertical wave forces on the mat. An exmaple is also given in this paper. Finally, the effects of the vertical wave force on the platorm's sit-on-bottom stability are analyzed.     

Finite Element Method for Design of Reinforced Concrete Offshore Platforms

A design method of reinforced concrete (R. C.) offshore platforms with nonlinear finite element analysis is proposed. According to the method, a computer program is developed. In this program nonlinear constitutive relationships and strength criteria of concrete and steel bars are included, and the progressive cracking and crushing of the concrete are taken into account. Based on the stress distribution obtained by the nonlinear finite element analysis, the amount of reinforcement in the control sections can be computed and adjusted automatically by the program to satisfy the requirement of the design. The amount of reinforcement required in the control sections, which are obtained with the nonlinear finite element analysis, is agreeable to that obtained in the experiment. This shows that the design method of R. C. offshore platform with the nonlinear finite element method proposed by the authors is reliable for practical use.     

A Review of Studies on the Interaction Between Waves and Muddy Bottom

This paper presents a brief review of the results on the interaction between waves and muddy bottom obtained during the last decade including the results obtained by the author at the Coastal Engineering Laboratory of Tianjin University.     

Discharge Control on Boundary of Tidal Models and Measuring Techniques of Low Current Velocity

This paper describes the discharge control technique on boundary used in two models, one is the model of hot water drainning in Dayawan Nyclear Power Plant, Guangdong, and the other is the model for trainhing the sand bar at the Guanhe Estuary, Jiangsu. Many years of application shows that this technique has the advantages of good reliability, repeatability and validity. The speedometer of hydrogen bubble is also introduced in this paper. The device can display and store tracing lines in a computer, and help operators to obtain the value and direction of transient velocity of a nonsteady current, thus, the problem of measurment of low current velocity in tidal model tests is solved and the automation of the measurement of current velocity is realized.     

The Shielding Effect of Multi-Pile Structures on Ice Force

The shielding effect of the front pile-row on the ice force acting on the hack pile-row is studied by ice force model tests. In the tests, the front pile-row is designed to model jacket legs and the hack pile-row to model the water resisting pipe-phalanx within the jacket. The shielding factor for ice force corresponding to different conditions are given in this paper. The research indicates that there are many factors, including the longitudinal and lateral spacing between the front and hack pile-row, ice attacking angle and the ratio of pile diameter to ice thickness, that influence the shielding effect on ice force.