Wave Load Prediction on a Stationary Bergy Bit Near a Fixed Offshore Platform

Author(s):  
Dong Cheol Seo ◽  
Tanvir Sayeed ◽  
M. Hasanat Zaman ◽  
Ayhan Akinturk

Offshore oil and gas operations conducted in harsh environments such offshore Newfoundland may pose additional risks due to collision of smaller ice pieces and bergy bits with the offshore structures, including their topsides in the case of gravity based structures particularly in extreme waves. In this paper, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) prediction for wave loads acting on a bergy bit around a fixed offshore platform is presented. Often the vertical column of a gravity based structure is designed against ice collisions, if operating in such an environment. In practices, topsides are usually protected by being placed sufficiently high from the still water level, away from the reach of the bergy bits. This vertical clearance between the still water level and the topside deck is known an air gap. Hence, the amount of the air gap planned for such an offshore structure is an important factor for the safety of the topsides at a given location. In this study a CFD method is applied to estimate the dynamic response of the bergy bit and provide a reliable air gap to reduce the potential risk of the bergy bit collision. In advance of more complex collision simulations using a free-floating ice for the airgap design, CFD analysis of wave load prediction on a stationary bergy bit is carried out and reported in this paper. In the experiments and CFD simulations, the location of the bergy bit is changed to quantify the change of wave load due to the hydrodynamic interaction between the bergy bit and the platform. Finally, the results of the CFD simulations are compared with the relevant experiment results to confirm the simulation performance prior to the free floating bergy bit simulations.

2018 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
pp. 05002
Author(s):  
Ricky L. Tawekal ◽  
Faisal D. Purnawarman ◽  
Yati Muliati

In RBUI method, platform with higher risk level will need inspection done more intensively than those with lower risk level. However, the probability of failure (PoF) evaluation in RBUI method is usually carried out in semi quantitative way by comparing failure parameters associated with the same damage mechanism between a group of platforms located in the same area. Therefore, RBUI will not be effective for platforms spread in distant areas where failure parameter associated with the same damage mechanism may not be the same. The existing standard, American Petroleum Institute, Recommended Practice for Structural Integrity Management of Fixed Offshore Structures (API RP-2SIM), is limited on the general instructions in determining the risk value of a platform, yet it does not provide a detail instruction on how determining the Probability of Failure (PoF) of platform. In this paper, the PoF is determined quantitatively by calculating structural reliability index based on structural collapse failure mode, thus the method in determining the inspection schedule is called Risk-Reliability Based Underwater Inspection (RReBUI). Models of 3-legs jacket fixed offshore platform in Java Sea and 4-legs jacket fixed offshore platform in Natuna Sea are used to study the implementation of RReBUI.


Author(s):  
Saeid Kazemi ◽  
Atilla Incecik

An experimental study for predicting the air gap and potential deck impact of a floating offshore structure is the main topic of this research. Numerical modeling for air gap prediction is particularly complicated in the case of floating offshore structures because of their large volume, and the resulting effects of wave diffraction and radiation. Therefore, for new floating platforms, the model tests are often performed as part of their design process. This paper summarizes physical model tests conducted on a semi-submersible model, representing a 1-to-100 scale model of a GVA4000 class, “IRAN-ALBORZ”, the largest semi-submersible platform in the Caspian Sea, under construction in North of Iran, to evaluate the platform’s air gap at different locations of its deck and also measure the impact forces in case of having negative air gap. The model was tested in regular waves in the wave tank of Newcastle University. The paper discusses the experimental setup, test conditions, and the resulting measurements of the air gap and the wave impact forces by using eight wave probes and three load cells located at different points of the lower deck of the platform.


Author(s):  
F. Van den Abeele ◽  
J. Vande Voorde

Offshore platforms are subjected to wind, waves and tidal flows. Tidal flow will generate a steady current, which induces a lift force and a drag force on the platform legs. In addition, water particle velocities induced by waves give rise to an oscillatory flow. As a result, the structure will experience a lift, drag and inertia force when subjected to wave-induced flow patterns. On top of that, a turbulent Von Karman vortex street can appear in the wake of the platform legs for certain combinations of dimensions and flow velocities. Vortex shedding can lead to vortex induced vibrations, which may jeopardize the integrity of the entire offshore platform. Environmental loads can cause significant deformations of offshore structures, which can in turn influence the fluid flow. Multiphysics modelling is required to capture the mechanisms governing fluid-structure interaction. In this paper, a Coupled Eulerian Lagrangian (CEL) approach is pursued to simulate offshore platform movements in strong tidal flows. In a CEL analysis, the fluid flow is modelled in an Eulerian framework: the water is described by an equation of state, and can flow freely through a fixed mesh. The offshore platform is modelled as a compliant structure in a traditional Lagrangian formulation, where the nodes move with the underlying material. Interaction between the fluid domain and the offshore structure is enforced using general contact conditions. The strongly coupled problem is then tackled with an explicit solver. Here, the CEL approach is demonstrated to simulate the movement of an offshore jack-up barge. The response of the vessel is calculated for different flow conditions. The multiphysics model allows evaluating the added value of structural redundancy, e.g. in the number of platform legs required for a safe design. In addition, it provides a valuable tool to predict the tidal windows allowed for given operational conditions.


Expressions for the wave load on an offshore structure have recently been derived by several authors, by applying the classical slender-body approach to individual structural members. This paper shows that they are all special cases of a more general result, which covers a complete structure, including the effect of non-circular member cross-sections, joints between members, and surface intersections. This more general result cannot readily be derived by the methods adopted by the earlier authors; it relies on an energy argument.


Author(s):  
Mojtaba Dyanati ◽  
Qindan Huang

As many jacket type steel platforms have been constructed in the highly active seismic area, seismic reliability evaluation of such structures is desirable. Ultimate limit state (ULS) with base shear capacity and demand can be used to estimate seismic performance of fixed offshore platform against collapse. Base shear capacity is evaluated from pushover analysis on a 3D finite element model of the offshore structure using different load patterns. Base shear demand is calculated from spectral acceleration at a given site and the total mass of the platform. Uncertainties are considered in both capacity and demand evaluations. With the limit state function, seismic fragility of a prototype structure is assessed using reliability analysis. The results indicate that various load patterns affect the seismic performance evaluation. It is also found that the steel yield stress is a critical parameter in the reliability of the steel jacket platforms.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédérick Jaouën ◽  
Arjen Koop ◽  
Lucas Vatinel

Abstract The horizontal motions of a moored offshore structure in waves are dominated by the resonance phenomena that occur at the natural frequencies of the system. Therefore, the maximum excursions of the structure depend on both the wave loads and the damping in the system. At present, potential flow calculations are employed for predicting the wave loads on offshore structures. However, such methods cannot predict hydrodynamic damping which is dominated by viscous effects. Therefore, the current practice in the industry is to obtain the low-frequency damping based on model testing. Nowadays, CFD simulations also have the potential to predict the low-frequency viscous damping of offshore structures in calm water. To obtain confidence in the accuracy of CFD simulations, a proper validation of the results of such CFD calculations is essential. In this paper, the flow around a forced surging or swaying LNGC is calculated using the CFD code ReFRESCO. The objective is to assess the accuracy and applicability of CFD for predicting the low-frequency viscous damping. After a description of the code and the used numerical methods, the results are presented and compared with results from model tests. Both inertia and damping coefficients are analyzed from the calculated hydrodynamics loads. Extensive numerical studies have been carried out to determine the influence of grid resolution, time step and iterative convergence on the flow solution and on the calculated damping. The numerical uncertainty of the results are assessed for one combination of amplitude and period for the surge motion. The CFD results are compared to experimental results indicating that the calculated damping coefficients agree within 5% for both surge and sway motion.


Author(s):  
Mehrdad Kimiaei ◽  
Jalal Mirzadeh ◽  
Partha Dev ◽  
Mike Efthymiou ◽  
Riaz Khan

Abstract Fixed offshore platforms subject to wave-in-deck loading have historically encountered challenges in meeting target reliability levels. This has often resulted in costly subsea remediation, impacted platform occupancy levels or premature decommissioning of critical structural assets due to safety concerns. This paper addresses the long-standing industry challenge by presenting a novel structural reliability approach that involves converging the analytical behavior of a structure to its measured dynamic response for assessment. In this approach, called the Structural Integrity Management (SIM) TRIAD method, the platform model is calibrated based on the measured in-field platform natural frequencies using a structural health monitoring (SHM) system, so that the reliability assessment can be performed on a structural model whose stiffness is simulated as close to reality as possible. The methodology demonstrates the potential of unlocking structural capacity of offshore structures by removing conservatism normally associated with traditional reliability assessment methods, thus significantly improving the ability to achieve target structural reliability levels in a cost effective manner. The SIM TRIAD method has been implemented while assessing an existing fixed offshore platform subject to wave-in-deck loads, which is located in East Malaysian waters. It has enabled the facility operator to achieve acceptable target structural reliability and has assisted in developing an optimized risk-based inspection (RBI) plan for ensuring safe operations to end of asset field life. The methodology and findings of the assessment are presented in this paper to illustrate the benefits of the SIM TRIAD method.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1027
Author(s):  
Nurul Uyun Azman ◽  
Mohd Khairi Abu Husain ◽  
Noor Irza Mohd Zaki ◽  
Ezanizam Mat Soom ◽  
Nurul Azizah Mukhlas ◽  
...  

The structural integrity of offshore platforms is affected by degradation issues such as subsidence. Subsidence involves large settlement areas, and it is one of the phenomena that may be experienced by offshore platforms throughout their lives. Compaction of the reservoir is caused by pressure reduction, which results in vertical movement of soils from the reservoir to the mud line. The impact of subsidence on platforms will lead to a gradually reduced wave crest to deck air gap (insufficient air gap) and cause wave-in-deck. The wave-in-deck load can cause significant damage to deck structures, and it may cause the collapse of the entire platform. This study aims to investigate the impact of wave-in-deck load on structure response for fixed offshore structure. The conventional run of pushover analysis only considers the 100-year design crest height for the ultimate collapse. The wave height at collapse is calculated using a limit state equation for the probabilistic model that may give a different result. It is crucial to ensure that the reserve strength ratio (RSR) is not overly estimated, hence giving a false impression of the value. This study is performed to quantify the wave-in-deck load effects based on the revised RSR. As part of the analysis, the Ultimate Strength for Offshore Structures (USFOS) software and wave-in-deck calculation recommended by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as practised in the industry is adopted to complete the study. As expected, the new revised RSR with the inclusion of wave-in-deck load is lower and, hence, increases the probability of failure (POF) of the platform. The accuracy and effectiveness of this method will assist the industry, especially operators, for decision making and, more specifically, in outlining the action items as part of their business risk management.


Author(s):  
Zhang Jian ◽  
Oleg Gaidai ◽  
Junliang Gao

This paper presents a generic Monte Carlo-based approach for bivariate extreme response prediction for fixed offshore structures, particularly jacket type. The bivariate analysis of extremes is often poorly understood and generally not adequately considered in most practical measurements/situations; that is why it is important to utilize the recently developed bivariate average conditional exceedance rate (ACER) method. According to the current literature study, there is not yet a direct application of the bivariate ACER method to coupled offshore jacket stresses. This study aims at being first to apply bivariate ACER method to jacket critical stresses, aiming at contributing to safety and reliability studies for a wide class of fixed offshore structures. An operating jacket located in the Bohai bay was taken as an example to demonstrate the proposed methodology. Satellite measured global wave statistics was used to obtain realistic wave scatter diagram in the jacket location area. Second-order wave load effects were taken into account, while simulating jacket structural response. An accurate finite element ANSYS model was used to model jacket response dynamics, subject to nonlinear hydrodynamic wave and sea current loads. Offshore structure design values are often based on univariate statistical analysis, while actually multivariate statistics is more appropriate for modeling the whole structure. This paper studies extreme stresses that are simultaneously measured/simulated at two different jacket locations. Due to less than full correlation between stresses in different critical jacket locations, application of the multivariate (or at least bivariate) extreme value theory is of practical engineering interest.


2013 ◽  
Vol 569-570 ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shehata E. Abdel Raheem ◽  
Elsayed M.A. Abdel Aal

Offshore structures for oil and gas exploitation are subjected to various ocean environmental phenomena which can cause highly nonlinear action effects. Offshore structures should be designed for severe environmental loads and strict requirements should set for the optimum performance. The structural design requirements of an offshore platform subjected to wave induced forces and moments in the jacket can play a major role in the design of the offshore structures. For an economic and reliable design; good estimation of wave loadings are essential. The structure is discretized using the finite element method, wave force is determined according to linearized Morison equation. Hydrodynamic loading on horizontal and vertical tubular members and the dynamic response of fixed offshore structure together with the distribution of displacement, axial force and bending moment along the leg are investigated for regular and extreme conditions, where the structure should keep production capability in conditions of the one year return period wave and must be able to survive the 100 year return period storm conditions. The results show that the nonlinear response analysis is quite crucial for safe design and operation of offshore platform. Fixed Jacket type offshore platforms under extreme wave loading conditions may exhibit significant nonlinear behavior. The effect of current with different angles when hitting the offshore structure with the wave and wind forces, is very important for calculate the stress, the response displacement and deformation shapes. As the current increase or decrease the effect of wave force according to the hitting angle of current.


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