A dynamic response analysis of tension leg platforms including hydrodynamic interaction in regular waves

A numerical procedure is described for predicting the motion and structural responses of tension leg platforms (TLPs) in waves. The developed numerical approach, in a TLP is assumed to be flexible instead of rigid, is based on a combination of the three dimensional source distribution method and the finite-element method. The hydrodynamic interactions among TLP members, such as columns and pontoons, are included in the motion and structural response analysis. Numerical results are compared with the experimental and numerical ones. The results of comparison confirmed the validity of the proposed approach.     

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.     

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.     

A note on the seafloor coupling characteristics of the new ONR ocean-bottom seismometer

A series of transient tests were conducted to determine the seafloor coupling characteristics of a new ocean-bottom seismometer (OBS) developed for the United States Office of Naval Research (ONR). The OBS comprises a large recording package and a separate sensor package that is deployed from the recording package. In addition to the coupling characteristics of both the sensor and the recording packages, the seismic energy radiated from the main recording package as a result of motion of the recording package was measured. The observed vertical coupling resonances of both the recording package and the sensor package are in good agreement with those predicted by a simple model of soil-structure interaction. The most important result of this study is that significant energy is radiated from the recording package in response to horizontal motions of the recording package. When the sensor package is 1 m from the recording package, the amplitude of the recorded signal is similar to that recorded in the recording package. In the field, this effect will result in distortion of seismic signals and increased background noise recorded by the sensor package if the recording package is disturbed by seafloor currents or biological activity. The amplitude of this signal attenuates by approximately a factor of two as sensor/recorder separation is increased from 1 to 6 m, suggesting that an improved response can be achieved by increasing the separation between the recording package and the sensors. This effect is much less severe for vertical disturbances of the recording package.     

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.     

Dynamic data integration for structural modeling: model screening approach using a distance-based model parameterization

This paper proposes a novel history-matching method where reservoir structure is inverted from dynamic fluid flow response. The proposed workflow consists of searching for models that match production history from a large set of prior structural model realizations. This prior set represents the reservoir structural uncertainty because of interpretation uncertainty on seismic sections. To make such a search effective, we introduce a parameter space defined with a “similarity distance” for accommodating this large set of realizations. The inverse solutions are found using a stochastic search method. Realistic reservoir examples are presented to prove the applicability of the proposed method.     

基于GIS组件与ANN耦合技术的矿井构造复杂程度评价

矿井构造是影响煤矿安全生产的主要因素,对瓦斯突出、矿井突水有着明显的控制作用。矿井构造具有空间性和非线性等特点,使矿井构造复杂程度评价的难度较大,据此利用MapObjects的空间分析功能和非线性人工神经网络（ANN）耦合技术,对矿井构造复杂程度进行评价。根据前人的研究成果,将突水系数、底板倾角变异系数、底板标高变异系数、断层强度指数、断层密度等5项指标引入评价体系,经过空间分析统计和模型识别,建立了矿井构造复杂程度评价模型。在开滦矿区东欢矿8煤层构造复杂程度的评价中,共训练及评价了研究区的226个评价单元．评价结果表明研究区西部及西北部构造复杂,中部及东南部构造相对简单。     

热液成矿作用的地质地球化学动力学——以胶东牟平-乳山金矿带为例

通过对胶东牟平—乳山热液脉状金,铅锌矿床成矿动力学控制规律的研究,说明了建立热液成矿反应体系的方法,并得出以下认识:（1）区域断裂构造活动,通过影响成矿反应体系的热力学性质和条件,控制元素的富集和分散。（2）热液成矿过程中容矿断裂活动可划分为两种作用方式:脆性破裂和韧—脆性张开,构成热液成矿的两种构造动力学环境。（3）热液成矿反应体系是一种开放的动态的热力学体系。断裂的脆性破裂阶段,使体系处于强烈的过饱和状态,矿质在远离平衡状态下快速结晶,加剧物质分异;在脆—韧性张开阶段,矿质在接近平衡态体系中缓慢晶出。（4）热液演化晚期,金在残余溶液中富集;当断裂再次发生构造脉动震颤时,早期形成的块状黄铁矿矿石碎裂,富金溶液充填其中,形成含裂隙金和晶隙金的富矿石。成矿体系热力学演化与构造动力学条件有利的匹配控制着富矿石的形成。     

磁层-电离层电动耦合的中纬电离层效应

本文通过对1982年磁扰期间琼中、北京两站地磁X分量变化的分析,证实了磁层-电离层电动耦合对中纬电离层电流的影响.分析发现:磁静、磁扰条件下的平均日变化中,两站X分量变化在白天有反向的趋势.这表明它们分处于与动力效应对应的电离层发电机电流圈中心之南北两侧.在磁暴主相期间,X分量变化形态与之明显不同,两站地磁南北分量有同向变化,且变幅相近,甚至有时北京站△X更大.对环电流能量增长指数R小于-25nT/h的21次事件所作的时序叠加分析（以R最负时为零时）进一步证明,这种同向变化是普遍存在的.两站零时之△X大小相近,相关系数高达0.98.该同向变化与R指数突然变负密切相关. 以上对比表明,与发电机电流造成两站X分量反向变化不同,同向变化是磁层源高纬扰动电流向中低纬直接穿透的结果.本文对动力和电动耦合两种过程的不同进行了初步讨论.