Study on the general layout of semi-submersible offshore drilling platforms based on process flow

The general layout of 6th generation semi-submersible drilling platforms is the main factor impacting the efficiency of their drilling operations. This paper provides a compound/integrated algorithm based on process flow that is aimed at improving efficiency, while giving attention to stability and safety at the same time. The paper describes the process flow of dual drilling centers and a hierarchical division of rigs based on the different modes of transportation of various drilling support systems. The general layout-centripetal overall arrangement spatially was determined based on drilling efficiency. We derived our modules according to drilling functionality; the modules became our basic layout units. We applied different layout algorithm to mark out the upper and lower decks. That is, the upper deck was designed based on the lowest transportation cost while the lower deck＇s calculations were based on the best-fit scope. Storage configurations in columns and pontoons were also considered for the layout design. Finally the center of gravity was taken into consideration and the general layout was adjusted accordingly, to result in an optimal center of gravity. The methodology of the general layout can provide a reference for implementation of domestic designs of semi-submersible rigs.

Sensitivity Analysis of Air Gap Motion with Respect to Wind Load and Mooring System for Semi-Submersible Platform Design

A design of semi-submersible platform is mainly based on the extreme response analysis due to the forces experienced by the components during lifetime. The external loads can induce the extreme air gap response and potential deck impact to the semi-submersible platform. It is important to predict air gap response of platforms accurately in order to check the strength of local structures which withstand the wave slamming due to negative air gap. The wind load cannot be simulated easily by model test in towing tank whereas it can be simulated accurately in wind tunnel test. Furthermore, full scale simulation of the mooring system in model test is still a tuffwork especially the stiffness of the mooring system. Owing to the above mentioned problem, the model test results are not accurate enough for air gap evaluation. The aim of this paper is to present sensitivity analysis results of air gap motion with respect to the mooring system and wind load for the design of semi-submersible platform. Though the model test results are not suitable for the direct evaluation of air gap, they can be used as a good basis for tuning the radiation damping and viscous drag in numerical simulation. In the presented design example, a numerical model is tuned and validated by ANSYS AQWA based on the model test results with a simple 4 line symmetrical horizontal soft mooring system. According to the tuned numerical model, sensitivity analysis studies of air gap motion with respect to the mooring system and wind load are performed in time domain. Three mooring systems and five simulation cases about the presented platform are simulated based on the results of wind tunnel tests and sea-keeping tests. The sensitivity analysis results are valuable for the floating platform design.

Wave load computation in direct strength analysis of semi-submersible platform structures

A wave load computation approach in direct strength analysis of semi-submersible platform structures was presented in this paper. Considering the differences in shape of pontoon, column and beam, the combination of accumulative chord length cubic parameter spline theory and analytic method was adopted for generating the wet surface mesh of platform. The hydrodynamic coefficients of platform were calculated by the three-dimensional potential flow theory of the linear hydrodynamic problem for platform with low forward speed. The equation of platform motions was established and solved in frequency domain, and the responses of wave-induced loads on the platform can be obtained. With the interpolation method being utilized, the pressure loads on shell elements for finite element analysis (FEA) were converted from those on the hydrodynamic computation mesh, which pave the basis for FEA with commercial software.A computer program based on this method has been developed, and a calculation example of semi-submersible platform was illustrated.Analysis results show that this method is a satisfying approach of wave loads computation for this kind of platform.

Dynamic Performance of a Semi-Submersible Platform Subject to Wind and Waves

By applying experimental and numerical simulations, the motion performance of a semi-submersible platform with mooring positoning system under combined actions of wind and waves is studied. The numerical simulation is conducted by the method of nonlinear time domain coupled analysis, and the mooring forces are calculated by the piecewise extrapolating method. The scale in the model experiment is 1:100, and the mooring system of the model is designed with the method of equivalent water-depth truncation by comparing the numerical and the experimental results, the platform motion and mooring forces subject to wind and waves are investigated. The results indicate that the numerically simulated mooring forces agree well with the experimental results in static equivalent field, but show some difference in dynamic equivalent field; the numerically simulated platform motions coincide well with the experimental results. The maximum motion of the platform under operating conditions is 20.5 m. It means that the horizontal displacement is 2% less than the water depth, which satisfies the operating requirements.

Dynamic Response Analysis of Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Turbine with Different Wave Conditions

To address the problem of poor wave resistance of existing offshore floating wind turbines,a new type of semisubmersible platform with truncated-cone-type upper pontoons is proposed by combining the characteristics of offshore wind turbine semi-submersible floating platforms.Based on the coupled hydrodynamic,aerodynamic,and mooring force physical fields of FAST,the surge,heave,pitch,and yaw motions responses of the floating wind turbine under different wave heights and periods are obtained,and the mooring line tension responses are also obtained;and compare the dynamic response of the new semi-submersible platform with the OC4-DeepCwind platformat six degrees of freedom.The results show that different wave conditions have obvious effects on the heave and pitch motions of the new floating wind turbine,and fewer effects on the surge and yaw motions;the tensegrity response of the mooring system is more affected by the wave conditions;compared with the OC4-DeepCwind floating wind turbine,the pitch and roll response of the new floating wind turbine has been significantly reduced and has good stability.

Investigation of the Hydrodynamic Performance of a Novel Semi-Submersible Platform with Multiple Small Columns

This paper presents a novel semi-submersible(SEMI) platform concept, called the multiple small columns(MSC) SEMI that improves upon the hydrodynamic performance of the conventional SEMI. Unlike the conventional SEMI, the proposed MSC SEMI utilizes multiple small circular columns to support the deck and a large pontoon that increases the structural displacement. The novelty of the MSC SEMI is its reduction of the hydrodynamic load on the structure and suppression of its motion response, particularly in the heave direction. The MSC SEMI has the advantages of increasing the added mass, radiation damping, and natural period of the structure. A comprehensive investigation of the hydrodynamic performance of the novel MSC SEMI is conducted in both the time and frequency domains with a special focus on the resulting hydrodynamic load and motion response. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the MSC SEMI concept can reduce the hydrodynamic load and motion response and improve the hydrodynamic performance of SEMIs as expected.

A Prediction Method of Internal Solitary Wave Loads on the Semi-Submersible Platform

An investigation into the prediction method for internal solitary waves(ISWs)loads on the columns and caissons of the semi-submersible platform found on three kinds of internal solitary wave theories and the modified Morison Equation is described.The characteristics of loads exerted on the semi-submersible platform model caused by the ISWs have been observed experimentally,and the inertial and drag coefficients in Morison Equation are determined by analyzing the forces of experiments.From the results,it is of interest to find that Reynolds number,KC number and layer thickness ratio have a considerable influence on the coefficients.The direction of incoming waves,how-ever,is almost devoid of effects on the coefficients.The drag coefficient of columns varies as an exponential function of Reynolds number,and inertia coefficient of columns is a power function related to KC number.Meanwhile,the drag coefficient of caissons is approximately constant in terms of regression analysis of experimental data.The results from different experimental conditions reveal that the inertia coefficient of caissons appears to be exponential correlated with upper layer depths.

Application of the monitoring and early warning system for internal solitary waves:Take the second natural gas hydrates production test in the South China Sea as an example

Internal solitary waves(ISWs) contain great energy and have the characteristics of emergency and concealment. To avoid their damage to offshore engineering, a new generation of monitoring and early warning system for ISWs was developed using technologies of double buoys monitoring, intelligent realtime data transmission, and automatic software identification. The system was applied to the second natural gas hydrates(NGHs) production test in the Shenhu Area, South China Sea(SCS) and successfully provided the early warning of ISWs for 173 days(from October 2019 to April 2020). The abrupt changes in the thrust force of the drilling platform under the attack of ISWs were consistent with the early warning information, proving the reliability of this system. A total of 93 ISWs were detected around the drilling platform. Most of them occurred during the spring tides in October–December 2019 and April 2020, while few of them occurred in winter. As suggested by the theoretical model, the full-depth structure of ISWs was a typical current profile of mode-1, and the velocities of wave-induced currents can reach 80 cm/s and30 cm/s, respectively, in the upper ocean and near the seabed. The ISWs may be primarily generated from the interactions between the topography and semidiurnal tides in the Luzon Strait, and then propagate westward to the drilling platform. This study could serve as an important reference for the early warning of ISWs for offshore engineering construction in the future.

Structural Stress Monitoring and FEM Analysis of the Cutting Operation of the Main Bracket of A Semi-Submersible Platform

For a semi-submersible platform in repair, the eight old main brackets which connect columns with pontoons need to be replaced by new ones. In order to ensure the safety of the cutting operation of the old main bracket and calculate the initial stress condition of new main bracket, the structural stress monitoring of eight key spots is carried out, and then the calibrated finite element model is established according to the field monitoring results. Before cutting the main bracket and all associated structures, eight rectangular rosettes were installed, and a tailored cutting scheme was proposed to release the initial stress, in which the main bracket and associated column and pontoon plates were partly cut. During the cutting procedure, the strains of the monitoring spots were measured, and then the structural stress of the monitored spots were obtained. The stress variation characteristics at different spots during the initial cutting operation were shown and the initial stress condition of the monitored spots was figured out. The loading and support conditions of the semi-submersible platform were calibrated based on the measured initial stress condition, which made the finite element model more credible. The stress condition with the main bracket and associated structures being entirely cut out is analyzed by the Finite Element Method (FEM), which demonstrates the cutting operation to be safe and feasible. In addition, the calibrated finite element model can be used to calculate the initial stress condition of the new main bracket, which will be very helpful for the long-term stress monitoring on the main bracket.

Conceptual Design of a Deep Draft Semi-Submersible Platform with a Moveable Heave-Plate

Based on the principle of turned mass damper(TMD) systems,the conceptual design of semi-submersible platform with a moveable heave-plate(MHS) has been put forward.The heave motion response amplitude operator(RAO) and viscous damping of the MHS platform are calculated by iteration,and the coupling stiffness between the MHS hull and the heave-plate is optimized to decrease the maximum heave motion response of the MHS hull under 10-year survival conditions in the South China Sea.The nu-merical results indicate that the heave motion RAO of the MHS hull can be decreased in the range of predominant wave frequencies,which may provide some reference to the heave motion control of offshore platforms.

Application of a Newly Built Semi-submersible Vessel for Transportation of a Tension Leg Platform

Transportation of tension leg platform （TLP） structures for a long distance has always been associated with the use of a heavy semi-transport vessel. The requirements of this type of vessel are always special, and their availability is limited. To prepare for the future development of South China Sea deepwater projects, the China Offshore Oil Engineering Corporation has recently built a heavy lift transport vessel-Hai Yang Shi You 278. This semi-submersible vessel has a displacement capacity of 50k DWT, and a breath of 42 meters. Understanding the vessel＇s applicability and preparing it for use in future deepwater projects are becoming imminent needs. This paper reviews the current critical issues associated with TLP transportation and performs detailed analysis of the designed TLP during load-out and transportation. The newly built COOEC transportation vessel HYSY 278 was applied to dry transport of the TLP structure from the COOEC fabrication yard in Qingdao to an oil field in South China Sea. The entire process included the load-out of the TLP structure from the landsite of the fabrication yard, the offloading and float-on of the platform from the vessel, the dry transport of the TLP over a long distance, and the final offloading of the platform. Both hydrodynamic and structure analysis were performed to evaluate the behavior of the transport vessel and TLP structure. Special attention was paid to critical areas associated with the use of this new vessel, along with any potential limitations. The results demonstrate that HYSY 278 can effectively be used for transporting the structure with proper arrangement and well-prepared operation. The procedure and details were presented on the basis of the study results. Special attention was also given to discussion on future use based on the results from the analysis.

Designing and Realization of Database Platform of County Agricultural Production Technology in Yunnan Province

According to the objective reality in Yunnan Province,such as great difference of weather,a great proportion of minorities,technological backwardness of agricultural production,low conversion rate of research accomplishments,and a limited number of agricultural technical personnel,ASP.NET technique and SQL Server 2005 database technique are adopted.Database platform of county agricultural production technology in Yunnan Province is established by using B/S structure.This platform includes presentation layer,application layer,and data layer,involving regional information,technology column information,technology classification information,technology content and other databases.It has six functional modules,namely information browse,system management,regional maintenance,technical section maintenance,category maintenance and technical information release,integrating crop cultivation,livestock breeding,economic forest management,plant protection,agricultural products processing,agricultural machinery use and other agricultural technical information.This platform can exchange information dynamically with the client,perform the query request from users,and send the result to users.This database platform has friendly interface,profuse information,high pertinency and so on,which offers rich and reliable information resources to farmers,agricultural technical personnel,and government.At present,this platform has been popularized in some areas of Yunnan Province and has obtained good results.

Effect of Failure Mode of Taut Mooring System on the Dynamic Response of A Semi-Submersible Platform

Mooring system failure can lead to largely different dynamic response of floating structures when compared to the response under the condition of intact mooring system.For a semi-submersible platform with taut mooring system under extreme environmental conditions,the typical mooring system failure includes anchor line breaking failure due to the broken anchor line,and the anchor dragging failure caused by the anchor failure in the seabed soil due to the shortage of the anchor bearing capacity.However,study on the mooring failure caused by anchor failure is rare.The current work investigates the effect of three failure modes of taut mooring system on dynamic response of a semi-submersible platform,including one line breaking failure,two lines breaking failure,and one line breaking with one line attached anchor dragging failure.The nonlinear polynomial mooring line model in AQWA was used with integrating the load and displacement curve from the anchor pulling study to characterize the anchor dragging behavior for mooring system failure caused by the anchor failure.The offsets of the platform and the tension of mooring lines were analyzed for mooring system failure with 100-year return period.It is found that the mooring failure of one line breaking with one line attached anchor dragging is a case between the other two mooring failures.The traditional mooring analysis considering only the damaged condition with one line breaking is not safe enough.And the simple way of mooring analysis of two lines breaking is too conservative for the costly offshore engineering.

Predictive Control and Implementation of Mooring Automatic Positioning System for Deepwater Semi-Submersible Platform

The automatic positioning control of mooring system for deepwater semi-submersible platform has become a key issue in the research and development field of deep-sea resources. The Dual-Stage Actuator (DSA) proposed in this paper can replace the single actuator to achieve the high speed and high precision positioning by cooperative control. The relative model and control algorithm of motion trajectory (CAMT) are designed and validated, which proves that the method proposed in this paper is effective.

Implementation of Mooring Automatic Positioning System for Deepwater Semi-Submersible Platform Based on Dual-Stage Actuator

The automatic positioning control of mooring system for deepwater semi-submersible platform has become a key issue in the research and development field of deep-sea resources. The Dual- Stage Actuator (DSA) proposed in this paper can replace the single actuator to achieve the high speed and high precision positioning by cooperative control. The relative model and control algorithm of motion trajectory (CAMT) are designed and validated, which proves that the method proposed in this paper is effective.

Online diagnosis platform for tomato seedling diseases in greenhouse production

The facility-based production method is an important stage in the development of modern agriculture,lifting natural light and temperature restrictions and helping to improve agricultural production efficiency.To address the problems of difficulty and low accuracy in detecting pests and diseases in the dense production environment of tomato facilities,an online diagnosis platform for tomato plant diseases based on deep learning and cluster fusion was proposed by collecting images of eight major prevalent pests and diseases during the growing period of tomatoes in a facility-based environment.The diagnostic platform consists of three main parts:pest and disease information detection,clustering and decision-making of detection results,and platform diagnostic display.Firstly,based on the You Only Look Once(YOLO)algorithm,the key information of the disease was extracted by adding attention module(CBAM),multi-scale feature fusion was performed using weighted bi-directional feature pyramid network(BiFPN),and the overall construction was designed to be compressed and lightweight;Secondly,the k-means clustering algorithm is used to fuse with the deep learning results to output pest identification decision values to further improve the accuracy of identification applications;Finally,a detection platform was designed and developed using Python,including the front-end,back-end,and database of the system to realize online diagnosis and interaction of tomato plant pests and diseases.The experiment shows that the algorithm detects tomato plant diseases and insect pests with mAP(mean Average Precision)of 92.7%,weights of 12.8 Megabyte(M),inference time of 33.6 ms.Compared with the current mainstream single-stage detection series algorithms,the improved algorithm model has achieved better performance;The accuracy rate of the platform diagnosis output pests and diseases information of 91.2%for images and 95.2%for videos.It is a great significance to tomato pest control research and the development of smart agriculture.

Hydrodynamic Comparison of a Semi-submersible,TLP,and Spar:Numerical Study in the South China Sea Environment

The South China Sea contains tremendous oil and gas resources in deepwater areas. However, one of the keys for deepwater exploration, the investigation of deepwater floating platforms, is very inadequate. In this paper, the authors studied and compared the hydrodynamics and global motion behaviors of typical deepwater platforms in the South China Sea environment. The hydrodynamic models of three main types of floating platforms, e.g. the Semi-submersible, tension leg platform （TLP）, and Truss Spar, which could potentially be utilized in the South China Sea, were established by using the 3-D potential theory. Additionally, some important considerations which significantly influence the hydrodynamics were given. The RAOs in frequency domains as well as global motions in time domains under time-varying wind, random waves, and current in 100-y, 10-y, and 1-y return period environment conditions were predicted, compared, and analyzed. The results indicate that the heave and especially the pitch motion of the TLP are favorable. The heave response of the Truss Spar is perfect and comparable with that of the TLP when the peak period of random waves is low. However, the pitch motion of Truss Spar is extraordinarily lar^er than that of Semi-submersible and TLP.

Strength Analysis on Brace Structure for Semi-Submersible in Consideration of Wave Slamming

Slamming on bracings of column stabilized units shall be considered as a possible limiting criterion under transit condition based on the requirements in DNV-OS-C103. However, the wave slamming loads under survival condition were ignored for the strength analysis of the brace structures in many semi-submersible projects. In this paper, a method of strength analysis of brace structure is proposed based on the reconstruction and extrapolation of numerical model. The full-scale mooring system, the wind, wave and current loads can be considered simultaneously. Firstly,the model tests of the semi-submersible platform in wind tunnel and wave tanker have been carried out. Secondly,the numerical models of the platform are reconstructed and extrapolated based on the results of model tests. Then, a nonlinear numerical analysis has been conducted to study the wave slamming load on brace in semi-submersible platform through the reconstructed and extrapolated numerical model. For the randomness of wave load, ten subcases under each condition have been carried out. The value of the 90% Gumble distribution values of the ten subcases are used. Finally, the strength on brace structure has been analyzed considering the wave slamming. The wave slamming loads have been compared between the survival condition and transit condition with the method. The results indicate that wave slamming under survival condition is more critical than that under transit condition.Meanwhile, the wave slamming is significant to the structural strength of the brace. It should be overall considered in the strength analysis of the brace structure.

Numerical and Experimental Study on Hydrodynamic Performance of A Novel Semi-Submersible Concept

The Multiple Column Platform(MCP) semi-submersible is a newly proposed concept, which differs from the conventional semi-submersibles, featuring centre column and middle pontoon. It is paramount to ensure its structural reliability and safe operation at sea, and a rigorous investigation is conducted to examine the hydrodynamic and structural performance for the novel structure concept. In this paper, the numerical and experimental studies on the hydrodynamic performance of MCP are performed. Numerical simulations are conducted in both the frequency and time domains based on 3D potential theory. The numerical models are validated by experimental measurements obtained from extensive sets of model tests under both regular wave and irregular wave conditions. Moreover, a comparative study on MCP and two conventional semi-submersibles are carried out using numerical simulation.Specifically, the hydrodynamic characteristics, including hydrodynamic coefficients, natural periods and motion response amplitude operators(RAOs), mooring line tension are fully examined. The present study proves the feasibility of the novel MCP and demonstrates the potential possibility of optimization in the future study.

A CORBA-Based Integration Platform of Product Development Process Management for Concurrent Engineering

Product development process management plays an important role in concurrent engineering (CE). The integration platform is a useful tool for effectively supporting the software development and integration. Based on the analysis of practical requirements for product development process management for CE, a CORBA-based integration platform of product development process management (IP-PDPM) is designed and developed. The design principles for IP-PDPM are described. The system architecture and functions of the platform are given, the key technologies for the implementation of IP-PDPM are presented, the application integration mechanism and its implementation techniques are also detailed.