Snap Tension in Mooring Lines of Deepwater Platform

Based on the theory of impact dynamics, the motion equations for a mooring line-floating body system before and after impact loading are established with consideration of the viscoelastic property of mooring lines. The factors that influence the taut-slack conditions of a mooring system are analyzed through classifying the taut-slack regions, which are defined by non-dimensional ratios of displacement, frequency, and damping of the system. The mooring system of Jip spar platform is analyzed, and the snap tension characteristics of mooring lines are given. The factors that influence the maximum tension in mooring lines, including the mass of the floating body, length of mooring lines, frequency and amplitude of external excitation, and pretension in mooting lines, are also analyzed through computing the dynamic response of system and parametric study. It is shown that the maximum tension increases with the increasing mass of the floating body, external excitation and pretension. Also, it is found that the influence of the non-dimensional ratio of damping increases with the increase of the pretension in mooring lines.

The Effect of Key Design Parameters on the Global Performance of Submerged Floating Tunnel under Target Wave and Earthquake Excitations

This study presents a practical design strategy for a large-size Submerged Floating Tunnel(SFT)under different target environments through global-performance simulations.A coupled time-domain simulation model for SFT is established to check hydro-elastic behaviors under the design random wave and earthquake excitations.The tunnel and mooring lines are modeled with a finite-element line model based on a series of lumped masses connected by axial,bending,and torsional springs,and thus the dynamic/structural deformability of the entire SFT is fully considered.The dummy-connection-mass method and constraint boundary conditions are employed to connect the tunnel and mooring lines in a convenient manner.Wave-and earthquake-induced hydrodynamic forces are evaluated by the Morison equation at instantaneous node positions.Several wave and earthquake conditions are selected to evaluate its global performance and sensitivity at different system parameters.Different BuoyancyWeight Ratios(BWRs),submergence depths,and tunnel lengths(and mooring intervals)are chosen to establish a design strategy for reducing the maximum mooring tension.Both static and dynamic tensions are critical to find an acceptable design depending on the given target environmental condition.BWR plays a crucial role in preventing snap loading,and the corresponding static tension is a primary factor if the environmental condition is mild.The tunnel length can significantly be extended by reducing BWR when environmental force is not that substantial.Dynamic tension becomes important in harsh environmental conditions,for which high BWR and short mooring interval are required.It is underscored that the wet natural frequencies with mooring are located away from the spectral peaks of design waves or earthquakes.