Design Code Calibration of Offshore Platform Against Typhoon/Hurricane Attacks

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita resulted in the largest number of platforms destroyed and damaged in the history of Gulf of Mexico operations. With the trend of global warming, sea level rising and the frequency and intensity of typhoon increase. How to determine a reasonable deck elevation against the largest hurricane waves has become a key issue in offshore platforms design and construction for the unification of economy and safety. In this paper, the multivariate compound extreme value distribution （MCEVD） model is used to predict the deck elevation with different combination of tide, surge height, and crest height. Compared with practice recommended by American Petroleum Institute （API）, the prediction by MCEVD has probabilistic meaning and universality.

Dynamic Simulation and Tension Compensation Research on Subsea Umbilical Cable Laying System

For studying the dynamic performance of subsea umbilical cable laying system and achieving the goal of cable tension and laying speed control,the rigid finite element method is used to discrete and transform the system into a rigid-flexible coupling multi-body system which consists of rigid elements and spring-damping elements.The mathematical model of subsea umbilical cable laying system kinematic chain is presented with the second order Lagrange equation in the joint coordinate system,and dynamic modeling and simulation is performed with ADAMS.The dynamic analysis is conducted assuming the following three statuses:ideal laying,practical laying under wave disturbance,and practical laying with tension compensation.Results show that motion disturbances of the laying budge under sea waves,especially with heaving and pitching,will cause relatively serious fluctuations in cable tension and laying speed.Tension compensation,i.e.,active back tension torque control can restrict continuous tension increasing or decreasing effectively and rapidly,thus avoiding cable breach or buckling.

Umbilical Cable Recovery Load Analysis

Umbilical cable is a kind of integrated subsea cable widely used in the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas field. The severe ocean environment makes great challenges to umbilical maintenance and repair work. Damaged umbilical is usually recovered for the regular operation of the offshore production system. Analysis on cables in essence is a two-point boundary problem. The tension load at the mudline must be known first, and then the recovery load and recovery angle on the vessel can be solved by use of catenary equation. The recovery analysis also involves umbilical- soil interaction and becomes more complicated. Calculation methods for recovery load of the exposed and buried umbilical are established and the relationship between the position of touch down point and the recovery load as well as the recovery angle and recovery load are analyzed. The analysis results provide a theoretical reference for offshore on-deck operation.

Model Tests Research on A Float-Over Barge in Shallow Water Under the Undocking Conditions

In this study,the Jinzhou 9-3 CEPD float-over installation project was investigated.During the undocking condition,the water depth of the motion path of the working barge gradually changed from 10.31 m to 9.41 m.The undocking clearance of the HYSY 228 is smaller than 1 m;therefore,the barge shows highly nonlinear hydrodynamic characteristics,and it is difficult to be accurately simulated by numerical analysis.Thus,it is necessary to obtain the hydrodynamic characteristics and laws of the float-over barge at different water depths by using tank model test,to provide some reference and guidance for float-over operations in shallow water.

Study on Basic Hydrologic and Meteorological Parameters in the Ice-covered Bohai Sea

Based on the sea ice investigation in Liaodong Bay and observation on Platform JZ20-2 in January, 1997, the basic hydrologic and meteorological parameters in the Bohai Sea are studied. These parameters consist of solar short wave radiation, long wave radiation, wind velocity, air humidity and some thermal properties of the sea ice. The following is obtained: (1) solar short wave radiation is an important factor affecting the energy balance in the Bohai Sea, and the simplified form of Laevastu (1960) formula can be used to calculate it in the Bohai Sea, (2) the air humidity is about 50% above the sea ice surface, and about 90% above seawater surface in winter according to the observations, (3) wind velocity and air temperature is another two important factors affecting energy balance, the stronger the wind is and the lower the temperature is, the more energy of the sea surface loses, (4) the net long wave loss of the sea surface is almost static in winter, (5) in the Bohai Sea, the thermal conductivity and latent heat of seawater condensation can be regarded as constant, but the specific heat is varying within a sizable range.

Study on H_2S stress corrosion test of welded joint for X65 pipeline steel and numerical analysis

The susceptibility of welded joint for the X65 pipeline steel to H_2S stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is investigated. SCC tests on the steel are carried out in the environment based on NACE TM-01-77 solution with saturated gaseous H_2S. The threshold stress intensity factor and crack propagation velocity are calculated according to wedge-opening loading (WOL) specimens. The three-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element analysis of WOL specimens is performed by using the FEM programming package ANSYS. Stress field and concentration of hydrogen distribution property ahead of the crack tip are obtained. This paper surveyed the microstructure of welded joint and studied on the mechanical properties of X65 pipeline steel. It provides experimental basis for studying stress corrosion. The results of numerical analysis are consistent with conclusions of stress corrosion test.

An Overview of Deepwater Pipeline Laying Technology

The technology and methods involved in pipeline laying in shallow water have evolved to the level of routine and commonplace. However, regarding the unexpected deepwater complexity, the traditional pipeline laying techniques have to confront many new challenges arisen from the increase of the water depth, diameter of the pipe and the welding difficuhy, all of which should be modified and/or innovated based on the existed mature experiences. The purpose of this investigation is to outline the existing and new engineering laying techniques and the associated facilities, which can provide some significant information to the related research. In the context, the latest deepwater pipeline laying technology and pipe laying barges of the renowned companies from Switzerland, Norway, Italy etc., are introduced and the corresponding comparison and discussion are presented as well.

Evaluation of Station Keeping Systems for Deepwater Drilling Semi-submersibles

This paper addresses the need for systematic evaluation of the station keeping systems of deepwater drilling semi-submersibles.Based on the selected drilling semi-submersible configuration, the mooring systems were analyzed and designed for a range of water depths using different mooring line materials.These were steel wire rope, polyester rope and HMPE (high modulus poly ethylene).The mooring analysis was carried out using the advanced fully coupled time domain analysis method in the computer software package HARP.Diffraction analysis was first applied to solve the hydrodynamic properties of the vessel and then the motion equations of the complete dynamic system including the drilling rig, the mooring lines and risers were developed and solved in the time domain.Applying the advanced analysis method, a matrix of mooring systems was developed for operating in water depths of 1000 m, 1500 m, and 2 000 m using various mooring materials.The development of mooring systems was conducted in accordance with the commonly adopted mooring design code, API RP 2SK and API RP 2SM.Fresh attempts were then made to comparatively evaluate the mooring system's characteristics and global performance.Useful results have been obtained in terms of mooring materials, water depths, and key parameters of mooring configurations.The results provide in-depth insight for the design and operation of deepwater mooring systems in the South China Sea environment.

Optimizing Winding Angles of Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes Based on Progressive Failure Criterion

This paper examines a scheme to optimize the multiple winding angles of reinforced thermoplastic pipes(RTPs)under internal and external pressures.To consider the nonlinear mechanical behavior of the material under changes of winding angle due to deformation,we use three-dimensional(3D)thick-walled cylinder theory with the 3D Hashin failure criterion and theory of the evolution of damage to composite materials,to formulate a model that analyzes the progressive failure of RTPs.The accuracy of the model was verified by experiments.A model to optimize the multiple winding angles of the RTPs was then established using the model for progressive failure analysis and a multi-island genetic algorithm.The optimal scheme for winding angles of RTPs capable of withstanding the maximum internal/external pressure was obtained.The simulation results showed that the ply number of the reinforced layer has a prominent nonlinear effect on the internal and external pressure capacity of the RTPs.Compared with RTPs with a single angle of±55°,the multiple winding angle overlay scheme based on the multi-angle optimization model improved the internal and external pressure capacity of the RTPs,and the improvement in the external pressure capacity was significantly better than the internal pressure carrying capacity.

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.

Optimized Design for the Plow of a Submarine Plowing Trencher

The plow of the submarine plowing trencher is one of the main functional mechanisms, and its optimization is very important. The design parameters play a very significant role in determining the requirements of the towing force of a vessel. A multi-objective genetic algorithm based on analytical models of the plow surface has been examined and applied in efforts to obtain optimal design of the plow. For a specific soil condition, the draft force and moldboard surface area which are the key parameters in the working process of the plow are optimized by finding the corresponding optimal values of the plow blade penetration angle and two surface angles of the main cutting blade of the plow. Parameters such as the moldboard side angle of deviation, moldboard lift angle, angular variation of the tangent line, and the spanning length are also analyzed with respect to the force of the moldboard surface along soil flow direction. Results show that the optimized plow has an improved plow performance. The draft forces of the main cutting blade and the moldboard are 10.6% and 7%, respectively, less than the original design. The standard deviation of Gaussian curvature of moldboard is lowered by 64.5%, which implies that the smoothness of the optimized moldboard surface is much greater than the original.

Difficulties and measures of driving super long piles in Bohai Gulf

Long piles of the ocean oil platform are usually manufactured as the integration of several segments, which have to be assembled one by one during installation. During pile driving, excessive pore pressure will build up in such a high level that hydraulic fracturing in the soil round the pile may take place, which will cause the soil to consolidate much faster during pile extension period. Consequently, after pile extension, the soil strength will recover to some extent and the driving resistance will increase considerably, which makes restarting driving the pile very difficult and even causes refusal. A finite element （FE） analysis procedure is presented for judging the risk of refusal by estimating the blow counts after pile extension, in which the regain of soil strength is considered. A case analysis in Bohai Gulf is performed using the proposed orocedure to exolain the nile refusal phenomenon.

Development of Strip Flatness and Crown Control Model for Hot Strip Mills

The strip flatness and crown control model is the foundation of automatic strip shape control. Considering the metal transverse flows and the inter stand second deformation, the trip flatness and crown control model has been developed, which can be applied to CVC mills and PC mills as well as normal four-high mills. The strip flatness and crown control model has high precision, and has been successfully applied to the automatic strip shape control system reconstruction of Tangshan Ganglu 1 250 mm hot strip plant.

Ribbon bridge in waves based on hydroelasticity theory

For the design and operation of a floating bridge,the understanding of its hydroelastic behavior in waves is of great importance.This paper investigated the hydroelastic performances of a ribbon bridge under wave action.A brief introduction on the estimation of dynamic responses of the floating bridge and the comparisons between the experiments and estimation were presented.Based on the 3D hydroelasticity theory,the hydroelastic behavior of the ribbon bridge modeled by finite element method(FEM)was analyzed by employing the mode superposition method.And the relevant comparisons between the numerical results and experimental data obtained from one tenth scale elastic model test in the ocean basin were made.It is found that the present method is applicable and adaptable for predicting the hydroelastic response of the floating bridge in waves.