scholarly journals Effect of Water Depths on the Hydrodynamic Responses of an FPSO Platform

2018 ◽  
Vol 203 ◽  
pp. 01022
Author(s):  
Matthew Guan ◽  
Montasir Osman Ahmed Ali ◽  
Cheng Yee Ng
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Response Spectrum ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Random Wave ◽  
Statistical Parameters ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Line System ◽  
Wave Condition ◽  
Water Depths

Ship-shaped Floating Production Storage Offloading platforms (FPSO) are commonly used in the production of oil and gas in offshore deepwater regions. The vessel is held in place by mooring lines anchored to the seabed during operation, either in spread or turret mooring arrangement. When designing such systems, water depth is a main factor that needs to be considered. At greater depths, the hydrodynamic properties of mooring lines become important and may not be accurately predicted through traditional experiments or numerical quasi-static models. Numerical simulation using coupled dynamic analysis is thus recommended, as the hull-mooring behaviour is analysed simultaneously, and the damping and added mass properties of the entire mooring line system is taken into account. This paper investigates the motions and mooring line tensions of a turret-moored FPSO at various water depths ranging from 1000 m to 2000 m. The analysis focuses on numerical simulations in the fully coupled dynamic time domain. The study utilizes the commercial software AQWA, with the FPSO model subjected to a unidirectional random wave condition. The hull hydrodynamics is first solved using the 3D radiation/diffraction panel method, and the hull response equation is then coupled with the mooring line equation. The dynamic motions and mooring line tensions results are presented in terms of statistical parameters as well as response spectrum. The results highlight the significance of greater water depths on low frequency responses in surge motions and mooring line tensions, and provides insight on the increasing and decreasing trend of these responses.

scholarly journals Prediction of Deepwater FPSO responses using different numerical analysis methods

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 02032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Guan ◽  
Montasir Osman ◽  
Cheng Yee Ng
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Analysis ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Random Wave ◽  
Static System ◽  
Line System ◽  
Wave Condition ◽  
Coupled Dynamic Analysis ◽  
Linear Spring ◽  
Spring System

The limitations of existing wave basins present a significant challenge when modelling offshore deepwater systems, particularly due to the basin’s relatively shallow depth. Numerical simulation thus becomes valuable in predicting its behaviour during operation at sea. The coupled dynamic analysis is preferred over the traditional quasi-static method, as the former enables the inclusion of damping and added mass properties of the complete mooring line system, which becomes increasingly prominent at greater water depths. This paper investigates the motions and mooring line tensions of a turret moored Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) platform using three numerical models, i.e. a dynamic system, quasi-static system and linear spring system subjected to unidirectional random wave condition. Analysis is carried out using a commercial software AQWA. The first two numerical models utilise a complete system of the same setup and configuration, while the linear spring system substitutes the mooring lines with equivalent linear springs and attempts to match the total mooring line restoring forces with that of the coupled dynamic analysis. The study demonstrates the significance of coupled dynamic analysis on the responses of an FPSO in deepwater. The numerical model of the FPSO is validated against the results of a published work.

A Parametric Study of Low-Frequency Damping of Mooring System

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minglu Chen ◽  
Shan Huang ◽  
Nigel Baltrop ◽  
Ji Chunyan ◽  
Liangbi Li
Keyword(s):  
Low Frequency ◽  
Structure Design ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Motion ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Offshore Structure ◽  
Frequency Oscillation ◽  
Low Frequency Oscillation ◽  
Line System ◽  
Irregular Wave

Mooring line damping plays an important role to the body motion of moored floating platforms. Meanwhile, it can also make contributions to optimize the mooring line system. Accurate assessment of mooring line damping is thus an essential issue for offshore structure design. However, it is difficult to determine the mooring line damping based on theoretical methods. This study considers the parameters which have impact on mooring-induced damping. In the paper, applying Morison formula to calculate the drag and initial force on the mooring line, its dynamic response is computed in the time domain. The energy dissipation of the mooring line due to the viscosity was used to calculate mooring-induced damping. A mooring line is performed with low-frequency oscillation only, the low-frequency oscillation superimposed with regular and irregular wave-frequency motions. In addition, the influences of current velocity, mooring line pretension and different water depths are taken into account.

Experiences From Handling Mooring Line Polyester Fibre Ropes During Installation and Retrieval

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Hilmersen
Keyword(s):  
Polyester Fibre ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Test Program ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Bottom Part ◽  
Load Bearing ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Large Fibre ◽  
Offshore Industry ◽  
Water Depths

The use of fibre ropes made by synthetic fibres have been used more frequent as the offshore industry is moving towards larger water depths. An important aspect is the effect of handling on the large, but delicate, ropes during installation offshore using tools and equipment that easily can destroy the load bearing capacities of the ropes. In order to get hands on experience in the field large polyester ropes have been used as inserts in catenary mooring lines for Mobile Offshore Units (MODU) working on depths ranging from 80 to 350 meters. The ropes have been integrated in the catenary chain mooring lines both in the suspended part and in the bottom part of the mooring leg thus having been exposed to seafloor clay. Subsea buoy have been attached to the ropes using smaller size fibre ropes in order to lift the mooring lines from the seafloor. The paper will detail how the large fibre ropes have been mobilised and demobilised repeatedly from/to storage drums to/from the installation vessel winch drum. During installation and retrieval the fibre ropes have been installed from the vessels winch drum using regular anchor handling equipment and vessels. When the MODU has been moved between locations some ropes have been retrieved to the vessels winch drums while the others have been used to tow and to keep the units station. Samples of the used ropes are taken and is subjected to a test program in the laboratory in order to document the effect of extensive use and handling and exposure to seabed clay.

Contribution of the Mooring System to the Low-Frequency Motions of a Semisubmersible in Combined Wave and Current

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amany M. A. Hassan ◽  
Martin J. Downie ◽  
Atilla Incecik ◽  
R. Baarholm ◽  
P. A. Berthelsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Damping Ratio ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Current Field ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Low Frequency Motion

This paper presents the results of an experiment carried out on a semi-submersible model to measure the steady drift force and low frequency surge motions. In the experiments, the influence of mooring systems was also investigated in different combinations of current and sea state. The measurements were carried out with a 1/50 scale model which was moored using horizontal springs and catenary mooring lines. A comparative study of the mean values of steady drift motions and the standard deviation of the low frequency motion amplitudes is presented. In addition, the effect of current on the damping ratio is discussed. It is found that for both horizontal and catenary moorings, the presence of a current increases the damping ratio of the system. For the catenary mooring system, as expected, the presence of mooring lines and their interaction with waves and current increases the damping compared to the damping of the horizontal mooring system. The measured mean values of the surge motions in a wave–current field are compared to the superposed values of those obtained from waves and current separately. For the horizontal mooring, it is found that there is good agreement in moderate sea states, while in higher sea states the measured motion responses are larger. In the wave-current field, the standard deviation of the surge motion amplitudes is found to be less than that obtained in waves alone. This can be explained by the increased magnitude of the damping ratio. Only in the cases of high sea states with the horizontal mooring system, was it found that the standard deviation of the surge motions is slightly larger than those obtained for waves and current separately. This may be explained by the absence of catenary mooring line damping.

scholarly journals Structural Reliability Based Dynamic Positioning of Turret-Moored FPSOs in Extreme Seas

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanhui Wang ◽  
Chuntai Zou ◽  
Fuguang Ding ◽  
Xianghui Dou ◽  
Yanqin Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Line Tension ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Dynamic Positioning ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Time Control

FPSO is widely used during the deep-sea oil and gas exploration operations, for which it is an effective way to keep their position by means of positioning mooring (PM) technology to ensure the long-term reliability of operations, even in extreme seas. Here, a kind of dynamic positioning (DP) controller in terms of structural reliability is presented for the single-point turret-moored FPSOs. Firstly, the mathematical model of the moored FPSO in terms of kinematics and dynamics is established. Secondly, the catenary method is applied to analyze the mooring line dynamics, and mathematical model of one single mooring line is set up based on the catenary equation. Thereafter, mathematical model for the whole turret mooring system is established. Thirdly, a structural reliability index is defined to evaluate the breaking strength of each mooring line. At the same time, control constraints are also considered to design a state feedback controller using the backstepping technique. Finally, a series of simulation tests are carried out for a certain turret-moored FPSO with eight mooring lines. It is shown in the simulation results that the moored FPSO can keep its position well in extreme seas. Besides, the FPSO mooring line tension is reduced effectively to ensure mooring lines safety to a large extent in harsh sea environment.

An Experimental Study of Snap Loads on a Vertical Hanging Cable System

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Ting Hsu ◽  
Tzu-Ching Chuang ◽  
Wen-Yang Hsu ◽  
Krish Sharman ◽  
Ray-Yeng Yang
Keyword(s):  
Drag Force ◽  
Excitation Amplitude ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Hydrodynamic Drag ◽  
Cable Model ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Line System

Abstract Sudden snap events on mooring lines and hanging cables can cause spikes in tension, resulting in reduced safety factors during extreme events. For example, the mooring system of a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) can be exposed to wave-induced motions making the former vulnerable to snap type impact. Suitable criteria to define snap events are still largely unclear, making current design practices overly conservative. To understand the underlying physics of snap loads on a mooring line system, this paper presents a theoretical development and an experimental parametric study of snap events. The effects of the nonlinearity of bilinear line stiffness and hydrodynamic drag force, as well as the weight of payload on snap events are investigated using the vertical hanging cable model. This cable model includes two springs in series and a payload. The bilinear spring model is designed to create nonlinear dynamic tension. A total of 108 tests were conducted in the wave tank of Tainan Hydraulic Laboratory. The excitation amplitude ranges from 0.01 to 0.04m; excitation time period ranges from 0.5 to 2s; the weight of payload ranges from 6.13 to 18.95N. The tests carried out in water are compared to those conducted in air. It is seen that the hydrodynamic drag force together with the small pretension could result in larger normalized tension ranges.

Sensitivity Analysis of an ANN-Based System for Detection of Mooring Line Failure

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Djoni E. Sidarta ◽  
Nicolas Tcherniguin ◽  
Philippe Bouchard ◽  
Ho-Joon Lim
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Compressive Load ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Offshore Platforms ◽  
Ann Model ◽  
Monitoring Equipment ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Inclination Angles ◽  
Noise Tolerant

Abstract Monitoring the integrity of mooring lines on floating offshore platforms is one of the key factors in ensuring safe and productive offshore operations. Sensors, such as inclinometers, compressive load cells or strain sensors, can be used to monitor the inclination angles or tensions on mooring lines. An alternative method using only dry monitoring systems, such as DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System), Gyrocompass and/or IMU (Inertial Measurement / Motion Unit), can also be used to monitor the integrity of mooring lines. This method uses the measured motions and positions of a vessel without any information on the environmental conditions to detect mooring line failure. The detection of mooring line failure is based on detecting shifts in low-frequency periods and mean yaw angles as a function of vessel position, mass and added mass. The proposed method utilizes Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to recognize and classify patterns. The training of an ANN model requires examples/data associated with intact mooring lines and broken mooring line(s). Examples/data of broken mooring line(s) are practically available only from numerical simulations. Therefore, it is important to address these two key topics: (1) Is the real behavior of the floating offshore platform sufficiently aligned with numerical simulations? and (2) The effect of the accuracy of monitoring equipment on the performance of an ANN-based system. The first topic is reviewed briefly with its possible solution including some sensitivity tests, and this paper focuses on addressing the second topic. A system architecture is discussed in this paper along with the accuracy of the monitoring equipment. As an example, an ANN model has been trained to detect a broken mooring line of a spread-moored FPSO. This ANN model has been tested on its performance in dealing with a range of possible errors associated with the monitoring equipment. Furthermore, the tests have been carried out for a combination of variables that are not included in the ANN training, such as: vessel draft (mass), sea state conditions and directions. This paper presents the results of the tests for various variable sensitivities, which cover vessel positions, mean yaw angles and vessel drafts. These are essentially testing the tolerance of a trained ANN model against error or noise in the data. The results show that a trained ANN model can be error/noise tolerant.

Wind Induced Nonlinear Response of Coupled Spar Platform

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Jameel ◽  
Suhail Ahmad ◽  
A. B. M. Saiful Islam ◽  
Mohd Zamin Jumaat
Keyword(s):  
Deep Water ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Wave Force ◽  
Wind Loading ◽  
Coupled Analysis ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Wave Direction ◽  
Spar Platform ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Spar Platforms

The oil and gas exploration has moved from shallow water to much deeper water far off the continental shelf. Spar platforms under deep water conditions are found to be the most economical and efficient type of offshore platform. Several Spar platforms installed in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea proves its suitability for deep water exploration. Accurate prediction of motions of a Spar hull is very important for the integrity and associated costs of the riser/mooring line. The most common approach for solving the dynamics of Spar platform is to employ a decoupled quasi-static method, which ignores all or part of the interaction effects between the platform, mooring lines and risers. Coupled analysis, which includes the mooring lines, risers and platform in a single model, is the only way to capture the damping from mooring lines and risers in a consistent manner. The present coupling is capable in matching the forces, displacement, velocities and acceleration for mooring line with Spar hull at the fairlead position and riser with Spar hull at the riser keel connection. It can handle possible significant nonlinearities. The output from such analyses will be platform motions as well as a detailed mooring line and riser responses. In actual field problems hydrodynamic and aerodynamic loads act simultaneously on Spar platform, mooring lines and risers. In finite element model, the entire structure acts as a continuum. This model can handle all nonlinearities, loading and boundary conditions. The selected configuration of Spar platform is analysed under wave force together with wind loading and its structural response behaviour in steady state is studied. An automatic Newmark-β time incremental approach in ABAQUS/AQUA environment has been implemented to conduct the analysis in time domain. The wind force acting on the exposed part of the platform encompasses mean and fluctuating wind components. The frontal region includes the topside assembly and the spar hull portion above the sea level. High degree of nonlinearities makes the solutions convergence sensitive and it requires large number of iterations, at each time station. Spar responses in surge, heave and pitch along with top tension in moorings are computed. The coupled Spar experiences significant lateral shift along wave direction due to wind loading. Increase in standard deviation shows the participation of wind loading giving higher fluctuations. The CML tension increases for wind loading but the extent of the tension fluctuations under wind loading is not much due to high pretension of mooring line.

Contribution to the Evaluation of VIV Analyses Using Wake Oscillator and Vortex Tracking Models

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lyrio Carneiro ◽  
Gilberto Bruno Ellwanger ◽  
Nelson Szilard Galgoul
Keyword(s):  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Lateral Displacement ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Offshore Structures ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Current Profile ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Wake Oscillator

Fatigue due to vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) is one of the major uncertainties today in the design of slender offshore structures, such as risers, pipelines, umbilicals, tendons and mooring lines, required for oil and gas production in deep waters. The absence of reliable tools for quantitative analyses of this phenomenon is a technological barrier, which is being faced by several research groups. This paper presents valuable VIV results achieved by the author, using “wake oscillator” and “vortex tracking” models, when researching for his M. Sc. dissertation. Time domain analyses were performed using a commercial software. First results describe the response of the evaluated models for two degrees-of-freedom rigid cylinders by tracing lateral displacement versus flow velocity curves. These curves are plotted over others previously published in recognized recommended practices, articles and theses. Afterwards, VIV analyses results for a steel catenary 10-inch diameter riser in three-dimensional current profiles were compared to measured values. The considered riser, installed in 910m water depth offshore Brazil, is possibly the only monitored SCR with no VIV suppression devices in the world today. The results were considered satisfactory, despite some discrepancies: the model which appeared to be one of the most attractive for the rigid cylinder case, failed to predict VIV in the SCR under an irregular current profile, for example. Vortex tracking models presented excessive low frequency response in the SCR analyses. Authors believe that this response is unrealistic, and these frequencies can be dissipated by using a more adequate damping model than that employed by the utilized program.

Experimental and Numerical Study on Large Truncation of Deepwater Mooring Line

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yihua Su ◽  
Jianmin Yang ◽  
Longfei Xiao ◽  
Gang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Response ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Unit Length ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Model Tests ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Wave Basin

Modeling the deepwater mooring system in present available basin using standard Froude scaling at an acceptable scale presents new challenges. A prospective method is to truncate the full-depth mooring lines and find an equivalent truncated mooring system that can reproduce both static and dynamic response of the full-depth mooring system, but large truncation arise if the water depth where the deepwater platform located is very deep or the available water depth of the basin is shallow. A Cell-Truss Spar operated in 1500m water depth is calibrated in a wave basin with 4m water depth. Large truncation arises even though a small model scale 1:100 is chosen. A series of truncated mooring lines are designed and investigated through numerical simulations, single line model tests and coupled wave basin model tests. It is found that dynamic response of the truncated mooring line can be enlarged by using larger diameter and mass per unit length in air. Although the truncated mooring line with clump presents a “taut” shape, its dynamic characteristics is dominated by the geometry stiffness and it underestimates dynamic response of the full-depth mooring line, even induces high-frequency dynamic response. There are still two obstacles in realizing dynamic similarity for the largely truncated mooring system: lower mean value of the top tension of upstream mooring lines, and smaller low-frequency mooring-induced damping.

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