Operators Experience With Flexible Risers

Norsk Hydro has more than 150 flexible dynamic risers and service lines in operation. Norsk Hydro’s experience with flexible risers started in 1987 when Petrojarl 1 commenced test production at the Oseberg Field. The paper tells the story about Norsk Hydro’s experience through the 15 years of trials with a new and complicated product. This paper will focus on “what went wrong”. This may seem unfair to the product! However, without flexibles we would probably not have seen such successful field developments as the Troll B and C, Njord, Visund and Snorre B. Challenging production and installation schemes have been put forward and fulfilled. However, hopefully this paper can give an insight in failure modes, and so forth give input to enhanced solutions in order to avoid similar situations in the future. This paper gives an overview over the different approaches which have been taken to give a better qualification of the lifetime prediction of the risers. Some of the specific projects will be presented in detail in other papers on this conference.

Identifying VIV Vibration Modes by Use of the Empirical Orthogonal Functions Technique

The Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) technique has widely being used by oceanographers and meteorologists, while the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD being a related technique is frequently used in the statistics community. Another related technique called Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is observed being used for instance in pattern recognition. The predominant applications of these techniques are data compression of multivariate data sets which also facilitates subsequent statistical analysis of such data sets. Within Ocean Engineering the EOF technique is not yet widely in use, although there are several areas where multivariate data sets occur and where the EOF technique could represent a supplementary analysis technique. Examples are oceanographic data, in particular current data. Furthermore data sets of model- or full-scale data of loads and responses of slender bodies, such as pipelines and risers are relevant examples. One attractive property of the EOF technique is that it does not require any a priori information on the physical system by which the data is generated. In the present paper a description of the EOF technique is given. Thereafter an example on use of the EOF technique is presented. The example is analysis of response data from a model test of a pipeline in a long free span exposed to current. The model test program was carried out in order to identify the occurrence of multi-mode vibrations and vibration mode amplitudes. In the present example the EOF technique demonstrates the capability of identifying predominant vibration modes of inline as well as cross-flow vibrations. Vibration mode shapes together with mode amplitudes and frequencies are also estimated. Although the present example is not sufficient for concluding on the applicability of the EOF technique on a general basis, the results of the present example demonstrate some of the potential of the technique.

Riser Fatigue Due to Currents and Waves

Fatigue due to environmental conditions is studied on a top-tensioned riser. The fatigue is due to two factors. First, the waves produce a displacement of the top of the riser, which excites the structure. Secondly, currents create vortices behind the structures. The phenomenon is then referred to as vortex-induced vibrations (VIV), whereby the vortices can lock onto a structural mode through the shedding frequency. In the present paper, we have two objectives. The first is to compare the fatigue estimates given either by a modal analysis or by Navier-Stokes calculations for a riser in a current. The second is to determine if studying the wave and current effects separately produces conservative results or if they must be studied together.

Model Tests for the Validation of Extreme Roll Motion Predictions

At present common stability criteria are based on practical knowledge gained from the operation of ships. Therewith the assessment of ship safety against capsizing is partly determined by long-term statistics of accidents. Regulations like the IMO-Resolution A 167 do not rate the typical seakeeping characteristics of different hull form geometries. Therefore strictly speaking, these criteria are just applicable for ships of similar types as included in statistics. Rapid development in ship design calls for the determination of ship and cargo safety in regard of extreme roll motions or capsizing during early design stage. Within the ROLL-S project, which was founded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, dynamic stability tests with a box shaped Container Ship and a RO-RO vessel have been performed. The performance of model tests, which are intended to serve for the validation of numerical simulation methods, put high demands on test and data acquisition techniques. The data of the waves encountered, course and position, as well as the response of the model had to be determined by model tests in order to use these data for the validation of numerical ship motion simulations. During the tests extreme roll motions of the two considered vessels could be observed in head seas and in following seas. Besides critical motion characteristics in following seas, like broaching, parametric induced roll motion effects were investigated in head sea condition. Remark: This paper should be read in conjunction with paper OMAE 2002-28297 which describes generation and transformation of the used waves.

Non-Linear Stress Analysis of Complex Umbilical Cross-Sections

Nexans Norway is, together with Marintek, currently developing a software for detailed analysis of complex umbilical cross-section designs. The software development project combines numerical methods with small-scale testing of involved materials, as well as full-scale testing of a wide variety of umbilical designs, essential for calibration and verification purposes. Each umbilical design is modelled and comparisons are made with respect to global behaviour in terms of: • Axial strain versus axial force; • Axial strain versus torsion; • Torsion versus torsion moment for various axial force levels; • Moment versus curvature for different tension levels. The applied theory is based on curved beam and curved axisymmetric thin shell theories. The problem is formulated in terms of finite elements applying the Principle of Virtual Displacements. Each body of the cross-section interacts with the other bodies by contact elements which are formulated by a penalty formulation. The contact elements operate in the local surface coordinate system and include eccentricity, surface stiffness and friction effects. The software is designed to include the following functionality: • Arbitrary geometry modelling including helical elements wound into arbitrary order; • The helical elements may include both tubes and filled bodies; • Elastic, hyper-elastic, and elastic-plastic material models; • Initial strain; • Contact elements, including friction; • Tension, torsion, internal pressure, external pressure, bending and external contact loading (caterpillars, tensioners, etc.). The paper focuses on the motivation behind the development program including a description of the different activities. The theory is described in terms of kinematics, material models and finite element formulation. A test example is further presented comparing predicted behaviour with respect to full-scale test results.

Subsidence of the Ekofisk Platforms: Wave in Deck Impact Study — Various Wave Models and Computational Methods

Subsidence of the Ekofisk platforms creates several operational challenges. For safety of the platforms, it is of great importance to find the wave impact loads acting on the platforms’ decks. The paper describes how such loads can be computed. Three theoretical wave models are discussed in the paper: the Airy wave, Airy wave modified through Wheeler stretching and the 5th order non-linear Stokes wave. The wave loads for these wave models are computed by various methods. The method based on momentum displacement approach and Morison-type equation developed by Dr. Kaplan is used as a reference point. The loads are also computed through a solution of complete Navier-Stokes equations, with the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method used to trace motion of the fluid’s free surface. Results of different wave models and different computational methods are compared and discussed.

On the Model Scaling of Polyester Mooring Lines for Offshore Applications

With the introduction of the polyester ropes as mooring lines of large systems such as semi-submersibles, the need to simulate these lines in model tests became a necessity. Although the non-linear behavior is clear, depending on the type of cycling, the polyester rope responds in ways that may be considered linear as a steel wire rope. Because of that, the early model tests have been performed using a linear restoring capability, with different restoring coefficients. The use of equivalent springs seemed the proper way. However, with the help of fundamental investigation on the similarity laws, the present work shows that the use of very thin polyester lines in model scaling is feasible and will indeed allow a closer physical representation. By avoid using springs, but using the same material as in full scale, the same non-linear behavior is present during the tests and even the response to random excitation due to random waves is better represented. The paper closely describes the application of these ideas in a model test of a FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) comparing both the linear springs and new approach with the model scale equivalent polyester line.

Spectral Analysis of Irregular Wave Impact on the Structure in Splash Zone

The spectral analysis from experimental data of irregular wave impact on the structures with large dimension in the splash zone is presented. The experiments were conducted in the large wave-current tank in the State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology. In the experiment, the target spectrum is JONSWAP spectrum, the significant wave height H1/3 is in the range from 0.1m to 0.3m, and the peak period of spectrum Tp in the range from 1.0s to 2.0s. The ratio of s/H1/3, which refers to the clearance of the subface of the structure above still water level (s) to the incident wave height, is between −0.1 and 0.4. The spectral analysis results of the irregular wave impact pressure on the subface of the structure under various case studies are presented. The distribution of spectral moment of the impact pressure on the structure along the subface is given. And the influence of different incident wave parameters and relative clearance s/H1/3 on the average spectral moment of impact pressure are discussed.

Nonlinear Wave Disturbance Around a Vertical Circular Column

The wave disturbance close to vertical columns is analysed. In particular, the deviations from linear predictions are investigated, by experimental as well as by numerical methods. Thus a second-order numerical diffraction model is established by means of a diffraction analysis code (WAMIT) and compared to model tests with a single, fixed column with diameter 16m. Tests in regular, bi-chromatic as well as irregular waves are run. Significant nonlinear effects are observed, especially in steep waves, with the maximum elevation in front of the column increasing from 11.5m in a linear prediction to around 19m, in a 12s regular wave with 22m wave height. The main nonlinear effects in front of the column are identified as second-order sum-frequency and difference-frequency terms, plus a significant nonlinear increase in the first harmonic component. The WAMIT prediction of the second-order effects agrees fairly well with the measurements, although with some overprediction and underprediction, respectively, of the sum-frequency and difference-frequency (LF and mean set-up) terms in the steepest waves. For the underprediction of the first harmonic, however, a theory beyond second order is required.

A Design Approach for Storage Spar Buoy Platforms in the Concept and Preliminary Design Phases

The objective of this work is to present a design approach for the Concept and Preliminary Design Phases of Storage SPAR Buoy Platforms and to describe how the design method was developed. The influence of a VIV porosity device on the design is taken into consideration. The inherent advantages of Spar concepts for Petrobras’ applications for 1250 m, are discussed and compared with other concepts. The Spar concept was chosen. The design method development was carried out by means of a brainstorming process, using sketches and the creation of interactive flowcharts of the design processes (similar to a design spiral) comprising the main design factors, their sequencing and interrelations, for both the Concept and Preliminary Design phases. The intent of the design approach is to provide the designer with means to define quick and efficiently the optimal hull dimensions for a pre-established scenario. For the Concept Design, the method includes the definition of the main dimensions, the Wellbay, the structural topology and compartmentation, general arrangement, weight control, stability (intact, damaged and flooded), motions and mooring. A discussion on the influence of the VIV porosity device on the dimensioning and mooring of the Spar Platform is provided. A concept design application example is presented.