Spectral Response of Stationary Jack-Up Platforms Loaded by Sea Waves and Wind using Perturbation Method

The paper addresses non-linear vibrations of offshore jack-up drilling platforms loaded by sea waves and wind in their stationary condition using the perturbation method. Non-linearity of dynamic equations of motion for fixed offshore platforms yields from two factors. The first is load excitation generating non-linear velocity coupling in a dynamic system. This coupling is inherent in the modified Morison equation, involving the excitation function in the form of the sum of the inertial and velocity forces of sea waves, taking into account relative wave–structure kinematics. Moreover, the wind acting on the exciting side causes similar effects. The second source is the subsoil–structure interaction problem, modelled by a system of springs and dashpots that yields stochastic non-linearity of the dynamic system. The matrix equations of structural motion in FEM terms are set up. The perturbation method is adopted to determine the mechanical response of the system, making it possible to determine response spectra of the first and the second approximations for displacements and internal forces of the platform. The paper is the continuation of research detailed in the paper [1]. It is assumed, that the fluctuation parts of the dynamic loading forces are in line with the direction of sea wave propagation. Sea current and lift forces effects are neglected in this study. A numerical example refers to structural data of the Baltic drilling platform in the stationary configuration, i.e. when three legs support the deck above the seawater level.

Wind Tunnel Experiment of Multi-Mode ARC Sail Device

A ship’s wind energy utilization device with multi-mode arc-shaped sails is designed, which have different working modes for sail-assisting or wind power generation according to the ship’s navigation. The structural characteristics and working principles of this device are firstly described in this paper. Three sets of arc-shaped sails with different thickness (4.5 cm, 11.3 cm, 21.7 cm) were designed. Wind tunnel experiments were carried out in the respects of sail-assisting performance and wind-power generation to determine the best sail blade shape and to verify the energy-saving effect of this device. Experiments show that the sail with the smallest thickness (4.5 cm) has a better boosting effect than others, and the sail with the largest thickness (21.7 cm) has the best wind power generation performance. Considering the lateral force and the structural strength of the support, in the case of the comprehensive evaluation for the boosting and power generation performance, it is considered that the intermediate thickness (11.3 cm) is the best choice. The device has a good comprehensive energy utilization effect and has development and application value.

Evaluation of Effectiveness of Waterjet Propulsor for a Small Underwater Vehicle

The goal of the project described is to replace the existing propulsion system of a small underwater vehicle with a solution less prone to mechanical damage and ensuring a lower risk of the entanglement of fibrous objects suspended in the body of water. Four typical marine screws are utilised in the current design of the vehicle. One possible solution of the problem is the application of waterjet propulsors located inside the body of the vehicle instead. The general condition of the application of the new solution was to secure at least the same motion control capabilities of the vehicle while the basic capability is its propulsion effectiveness at the required speed. Specific features of the considered waterjet propulsor, when compared with their application in surface vessel propulsion, are the lack of the head losses and the low significance of cavitation issues. One of the difficulties in the considered case is the small diameter of the propulsor in comparison to commercially available waterjet units, which have diameters between 0.1 [m] and 1.0 [m]. There is very little data regarding the design and performance of devices in the 0.02 to 0.05 [m] range. Methods utilised to forecast the performance of the new propulsion system are presented and results compared. These were semi-empirical calculations, numerical calculations and tests of real devices. The algorithm that is based on semi-empirical calculations is of particular interest while it offers possibility quick assessment of performance of a propulsor composed of several well defined components. The results indicate the feasibility of modification of the propulsion system for the considered vehicle if all the existing circumstances are taken into account.

New Designs of Magnetic Fluid Seals for Reciprocating Motion

The operating conditions of magnetic fluid seals during reciprocating motion are so different from those observed in rotating motion that the use of their conventional structures for reciprocating motion seals yields no good results. The analysis of the sealing mechanism of magnetic fluid seals in reciprocating motion shows that the operation of these seals is affected by the carry-over phenomenon and magnetic fluid film deformation in the sealing gap, which depends on the velocity of the reciprocating motion. The reduced amount of magnetic fluid in the sealing gap caused by the reciprocating motion of the shaft is the main reason for seal failures. The paper presents a short characterisation of magnetic fluid sealing technology, the principle of sealing, the operation of the magnetic fluid and the seal failure mechanism in linear motion of the shaft. Moreover, some new structural designs of hybrid seals, being combinations of typical hydraulic seals with magnetic fluid seals for reciprocating motion, and some examples of magnetic fluid sealing structures for hydraulic cylinders and piston compressors which have practical application values are presented.

The Influence of Selected Strain-Based Failure Criteria on Ship Structure Damage Resulting from a Collision with an Offshore Wind Turbine Monopile

Offshore wind farms are developing well all over the world, providing green energy from renewable sources. The evaluation of possible consequences of a collision involves Finite Element computer simulations. The goal of this paper was to analyse the influence of selected strain-based failure criteria on ship damage resulting from a collision with an offshore wind turbine monopile. The case of a collision between an offshore supply vessel and a monopile-type support structure was examined. The results imply that simulation assumptions, especially the failure criteria, are very important. It was found that, using the strain failure criteria according to the minimum values required by the design rules, can lead to an underestimation of the ship damage by as much as 6 times, for the length of the hull plate, and 9 times, for the area of the ship hull opening. Instead, the adjusted formula should be used, taking into account both the FE element size and the shell thickness. The influence of the non-linear representation of the stress-strain curve was also pointed out. Moreover, a significant influence of the selected steel grade on collision damages was found.

Research on the Application of Cold Energy of Largescale Lng-Powered Container Ships to Refrigerated Containers

With the aim of considering the problem of excess fuel cold energy and excessive power consumption of refrigerated containers on large LNG-powered container ships, a new utilisation method using LNG-fuelled cold energy to cool refrigerated containers in cargo holds is proposed in this study, and the main structure of the cold storage in the method is modelled in three dimensions. Then, combined with the different conditions, 15 different combination schemes of high temperature cold storage and low temperature cold storage are designed to utilise the cold energy of LNG fuel, the exergy efficiency and cold energy utilisation rate calculation model of the system is established. The simulation tool ‘Aspen HYSYS’ is used to simulate and calculate the exergy efficiency and cold energy utilisation rate of the system under 15 combinations, verifying the feasibility of the scheme. According to the characteristics of such a ship’s cross-seasonal navigation routes and the number of refrigerated containers loaded in different ports, the combination schemes of the number of low-temperature cold storage and high-temperature cold storage are selected. Thus, the average exergy efficiency and cold energy utilisation rate of the whole line is obtained, which proves that LNG-powered container ships could effectively utilise the cold energy of LNG. By calculating the total electric energy consumed by refrigerated containers on the whole sailing route, before and after the adoption of the LNG cold energy method, it is found that the adoption of this new method can promote the realisation of energy saving and emission reduction of ships.

Influence of solid particle contamination on the wear process in water lubricated marine strut bearings with NBR and PTFE bushes

This paper reports on a study of the influence of solid particle contamination on the wear process in water-lubricated slide bearings (steel-acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) and steel-polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)). To compare the wear of the shaft journal and bushes (NBR and PTFE) when lubricated with fresh water and contaminated water, an experiment was carried out to identify key factors that influence the state of wear of slide bearing. The amount of wear was checked by means of geometric structure measurements on the journals, namely, roughness profile measurements using both a contact profilometer and an optical microscope. The obtained results enabled correlations between the material comprising the sliding sleeve, roughness of the journals and contamination inside the water-lubricated slide bearings.

Numerical Analysis of the Effect of Flexibility on the Propulsive Performance of a Heaving Hydrofoil Undergoing Sinusoidal and Non-Sinusoidal Motions

Numerical simulations of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) on an elastic foil heaving with constant amplitude in freestream flow are carried out at a low Reynolds number of 20,000. The commercial software STAR-CCM+ is employed to solve the flow field and the large-scale passive deformation of the structure. The results show that introducing a certain degree of flexibility significantly improves the thrust and efficiency of the foil. For each Strouhal number St considered, an optimal flexibility exists for thrust; however, the propulsive efficiency keeps increasing with the increase in flexibility. The visualisation of the vorticity fields elucidates the improvement of the propulsive characteristics by flexibility. Furthermore, the mechanism of thrust generation is discussed by comparing the time-varying thrust coefficient and vortex structure in the wake for both rigid and elastic foils. Finally, in addition to sinusoidal motions, we also consider the effect of non-sinusoidal trajectories defined by flattening parameter S on the propulsive characteristics for both rigid and elastic foils. The non-sinusoidal trajectories defined by S=2 are associated with the maximum thrust, and the highest values of propulsive efficiency are obtained with S=0.5 among the cases considered in this work.

Experimental and Numerical Studies on the Shear Stability of Ship’s Thin Plates

The stability of thin plate plays an important role in the design and strength check of ship structure. In order to study the shear stability of ship’s thin plates, in-plane shear buckling tests were carried out using a picture frame fixture and a 3D full-field strain measurement system. The critical buckling load, full-field displacement/strain information, and load-displacement curve were obtained. The finite element model with the frame fixture was established based on ABAQUS, with the eigenvalue buckling analysis and nonlinear buckling analysis being carried out to obtain the mechanical response information of the buckling and post-buckling of the ship’s thin plate. The effectiveness and accuracy of the numerical simulation method are verified by comparing the numerical simulation with the experimental results. On this basis, the critical buckling load obtained by shear test, numerical simulation, and theoretical calculation is analyzed, and the function of the frame shear fixture and its influence on the critical buckling load are defined. The research in this paper provides a useful reference for the testing and simulation of in-plane shear stability of ship’s thin plates.

Performance and Emission Modelling and Simulation of Marine Diesel Engines using Publicly Available Engine Data

To analyse the behaviour of marine diesel engines in unsteady states for different purposes, for example to determine the fuel consumption or emissions level, to adjust the control strategy, to manage the maintenance, etc., a goal-based mathematical model that can be easily implemented for simulation is necessary. Such a model usually requires a wide range of operating data, measured on a test stand. This is a time-consuming process with high costs and the relevant data are not available publicly for a selected engine. The present paper delivers a rapid and relatively simple method for preparing a simulation model of a given marine diesel engine, based only on the widely available data in the project guides indicated for steady state conditions. After establishing the framework of the mathematical model, it describes how the parameters of the model can be adjusted for the simulation model and how the results can be verified as well. Conceptually, this is a trial and error method, but the presented case example makes clear how the parameters can be selected to reduce the number of trials and quickly determine the model parameters. The necessary descriptions are given through a case study, which is the MAN-B&W 8S65ME-C8 marine diesel engine. The engine is assumed to be connected to a constant pitch propeller. The presented mathematical model is a mean-value zero-dimensional type with seven state variables. The other variables of the engine are determined based on the state independent variables and the input value, which is the fuel rate. The paper can be used as a guideline to prepare a convenient mathematical model for simulation, with the minimum publicly available data.