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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Semi-submersible Offshore Coupled Motion in Irregular Waves

In order to predict the hydrodynamic performance of semi-submersible offshore platform accurately,based on CFD theory,continuous equation and N-S equation as the control equation,RNG type k-εmodel as turbulence model,using the finite difference method to discretize the control equation,using the Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure Linked Equation(SIMPLE)algorithm to solve the control equation,using the VOF method to capture the free surface.The numerical wave tank of irregular wave is established,and the wave force and motion response of the semi-submersible platform under irregular wave are studied.Based on the Jonswap spectrum density function,for a certain area of two irregular waves(South China sea,a-ten-year return period,a-hundred-year return period)sea condition,five wave direction Angle(0°,30°,45°,60°,90°),a total of 10 kinds of conditions of the motion response of semi-submersible platform are simulated,through analysis and comparison of simulation results,the influence law of wave angle,wave period and wave height on platform motion is obtained.Compared with the experimental values,the results of heave and pitch are close to the experimental data under the sea condition of 2,0 degree wave angles.The research results in this paper can provide reference for the design and motion response prediction of practical semi-submersible offshore platforms.

透空结构与半潜式风机集成系统耦合运动响应特性分析

A novel semi-submersible platform is proposed for 5 MW wind turbines.This concept focuses on an integrated system formed by combining porous shells with a semi-submersible platform.A coupled aerodynamic–hydrodynamic–mooring analysis of the new system is performed.The motion responses of the novel platform system and the traditional platform are compared.The differences in hydrodynamic performance between the two platforms are also evaluated.The influence of the geometric parameters(porosity,diameter,and wall thickness)of porous shells on the motion response behavior of the new system is studied.Overall,the new semi-submersible platform exhibits superior stability in terms of pitch and heave degrees of freedom,demonstrating minimal effects on the motion response in the surge degree of freedom.

Sensitivity Analysis of Wave Slamming Load with Respect to Wind Load for Semi-Submersible Platform Design

A design of offshore floating structure is mainly based on the extreme response analysis due to the forces experienced. The extreme response can induce the negative air gap response and potential impact to the deck bottom of floating structure. It is important to predict the slamming load in order to check the strength of local structures which withstand the wave slamming. In recent years, studies of the effects of wind load on air gap response and slamming load are ignored. When the platform suffers the extreme wave, the wind is also harsh.Moreover, the wind load can affect the motion response of the platform. The wind load cannot be simulated easily by model test in towing tank whereas it can be simulated accurately in wind tunnel test. Though the model test results are not accurate enough for air gap and slamming load evaluation due to the loss of wind effect, they can be used as a good basis for tuning the radiation damping and viscous drag in numerical simulation. This paper aims at presenting the sensitivity analysis results of wave slamming load with respect to the wind load for the design of semi-submersible platform. As an example of semi-submersible drilling platform design, the wind tunnel test has been carried out, and the sea-keeping model test is also performed in towing tank, while the wind load effect is ignored. According to the model test results, a numerical model is tuned and validated by ANSYS AQWA. Sensitivity analysis studies of the relative velocity between water particle and platform surface and the wave slamming load with respect to the wind load are performed in time domain by the tuned numerical model.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.

Study on A New Mooring System Integrating Catenary with Taut Mooring

Analyzed are the merits and demerits of catenary mooring system and taut mooring system, which are commonly used nowadays. As falling somewhere between these two systems, a new mooring system integrating catenary with taut mooring is proposed. In order to expound and prove the advantages of this new system, the motion performance of a semi-submersible platform is simulated by employing full time domain coupled analysis method. A comparison of the result of new mooting system with that of taut mooring system shows that the movement of the platform using the new type mooting system is smaller than that using the taut mooring system, which ensures a better working condition. Furthermore, the new mooring system is also compatible with the characteristics of catenary mooting system, which eliminates the requirement of anti-uplift capacity of the anchors.