Numerical investigations into the influence of geometric configurations on hydrodynamic characteristics of torpedo anchors

Torpedo anchors are an innovative and cost-effective technology in marine foundation engineering; however, there is a lack of systematic and comprehensive studies on the influence of torpedo anchor geometry on its hydrodynamic characteristics, especially the effect of anchor fin configuration on the hydrodynamic characteristics is rarely reported in the existing literature. Therefore, this study investigates the influence of geometric characteristics of both finless and finned torpedo anchors on their terminal velocity, drag coefficient and installation directional stability in water through CFD numerical analysis in a systematical manner. The considered geometric characteristics include the center of gravity position, shape and angle of anchor tip, shaft and fin aspect ratio, fin number, fin thickness, fin shape, fin position and fin area. Based on the obtained numerical results, some practical design recommendations and impact weighting charts of different anchor geometric factors are provided, which enables a quick qualitative and quantitative assessment of torpedo anchors. In addition, a simple weight-based approach for estimation of terminal velocity and drag coefficient of torpedo anchors considering multiple geometric configuration factors is proposed, which may provide some reference and scientific guidance for experimental and engineering design of torpedo anchors.     

基于拖曳锚轨迹方程的拖曳锚系泊优化分析

拖曳锚系泊作为目前海洋工程使用最为广泛的系泊方式，因其较低的制造和安装成本使其成为小型浮式平台系泊方式的首选。目前拖曳式系泊设计大多根据以往工程经验进行选择设计，由于经验设计中并没过多的泥面表面及以下锚链安装信息，因此在设计之初很难对系泊材料用量准确计算。不同重量的拖曳锚在同样的嵌深和同样的锚倾角条件下，所能提供的系泊力大不相同。同时，不同重量的拖曳锚的在相同土壤条件下拖曳嵌入轨迹不同，因而最大埋深不同。上述两方面原因导致不同重量的拖曳锚提供的系泊力不一样。因此，需要达到同样的系泊效果，泥线以下反悬链线和卧底链的长度在不同重量锚的系泊系统中是不同的。参照系泊成本各个分项在其生命周期各阶段的占比，材料制造成本与安装成本占据系泊成本的大部分，且安装成本往往正比于材料成本。因此降低系泊锚链的材料成本对整个系泊系统的成本降低起到了巨大的优化作用。通过结合拖曳锚的极限平衡法拖曳轨迹理论方程，以不同重量的拖曳锚在粘性土壤中的不同拖曳距离下提供额定系泊力时所需要的材料重量为系泊成本评价依据，从而得到浮式结构物系泊系统的一种设计优化方法。     

拖曳嵌入式板锚在中国的研究近况(英文)

Experimental and theoretical studies of drag embedment plate anchors recently carried out in Tianjin University are summarized in this research paper, which involve a series of important topics relevant to the study of drag anchors. The techniques for measuring the trajectory and movement direction of drag anchors in soils, the techniques for measuring the moving embedment point and reverse catenary shape of the embedded drag line, the penetration mechanism and kinematic behavior of drag anchors, the ultimate embedment depth of drag anchors, the movement direction of the anchor with an arbitrary fluke section, the reverse catenary properties of the embedded drag line, the interactional properties between drag anchor and installation line, the kinematic model of drag anchors in seabed soils, and the analytical method for predicting the anchor trajectory in soils will all be examined. The present work remarkably reduces the uncertainties in design and analysis of drag embedment plate anchors, and is beneficial to improving the application of this new type of drag anchor in offshore engineering.     

饱和软粘土中新型法向承载力锚极限承载力分析

法向承力锚(VLA)因其安装回收方便、承载能力高、可重复使用等优点,被广泛应用于海洋工程。文中假设一楔形锚板埋置于理想不排水饱和软粘土中,通过建立锚板-土体有限元数值模型,对锚板的极限承载力和锚的失效形式进行分析,考察了不同埋深、埋置倾角等对其承载力系数的影响。在浅埋和深埋两种情况下,锚的失效形式分别表现为锚板上方土体的整体破坏和周边土体的局部剪切破坏。随着埋深增加,锚板承载力系数趋于稳定,埋置倾角对承载力系数的影响也逐渐变小。     

SPAR平台锚固基础的有限元分析

SPAR平台是目前应用较为广泛的深海石油平台形式之一,其基础形式主要有吸力锚和桩基。运用有限元分析软件Plaxis 3D Foundation,采用了Mohr-Coulomb弹塑性本构模型,选取具有代表性的吸力锚和桩基进行三维有限元分析,得到了吸力锚和桩基的极限承载力,讨论了二者承载力特性的区别及各自的适用条件。     

锚链直径对船舶锚泊能力的影响

从减轻船总体负担、采用链径更小的海洋系泊链的设计需求出发,以单个链环为微元对锚链在锚泊状态所形成悬链线方程进行推导,建立锚链在典型锚泊状态下的悬链线方程,并以此为基础完成不同链径锚链在抛锚长度、最大可承受环境力、最大抛锚深度等方面的计算分析。结合计算结果和船舶实际使用情况,对采用不同链径锚链的锚泊能力进行综合分析后认为,虽然链径较粗的锚链的理论锚泊能力较强,但若采用霍尔锚等非大抓力锚,或对锚泊水域面积无明确要求、没有在深水中抛锚的特殊需求等,则可以选用链径相对较细的海洋系泊链代替目前规范中规定的电焊锚链。     

Finite element modeling of suction anchors under combined loading

Suction anchors are subjected to inclined, quasi-horizontal or quasi-vertical loadings. The type of the structure and depth of water govern the inclination of the load. Under this load condition, suction anchor experiences a combination of horizontal and vertical translations, and rotation. Therefore the soil's reaction to this load condition can be idealized as horizontal and vertical loadings, together with a moment. The magnitude and combination of the reactions depend on the load inclination, soil property and the point at which the load is applied. The behavior of the suction anchor subjected to the combined V–H-M loading is elaborated in this paper. This is to observe the effects of soil properties on the failure mechanism and ultimate capacity of the foundation. This was achieved by applying the pure horizontal and vertical displacements, and rotation and their combinations to the foundation, on V–H, V-M and H-M spaces and the yield-locus created for each space. The general purpose finite element program DIANA was used for this study. Non-linear analysis was conducted using a simplified elastic-perfectly-plastic model with Von-Mises yield criterion for saturated and consolidated clay.     

The uplift capacity of single-plate helical pile in shallow dense sand including the influence of installation

The helical pile has been used to resist the tension for a long time. However, the prediction of the uplift capacity of helical piles including the influence of installation is still a challenge in design. Based on the change in stress according to Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, a simple theoretical method has been developed, which can calculate the uplift capacity of shallow pre-embedded circular plate anchors and the uplift capacity of helical piles installed by torque and compression. In order to analyse the influence of installation process of a single-plate helical pile on its uplift capacity and verify the theoretical model, a series of model tests have been conducted in dense saturated sand. The single-plate helical piles with different out diameters of helixes have been installed with different installation speeds, and then, the single-plate helical piles have been moved up monotonically. The test results show that the installation speed and the size of the out diameter of the helix have significant influence on the uplift capacity of the helical piles, and the results of the theoretical method have a good fit with the test results. Using this simple theoretical method, the designer can easily predict the uplift capacities of helical piles, which includes the influence of installation.     

Centrifuge modelling of a combined pile-type anchor subjected to general inclined loading

One of the main challenges associated with anchoring offshore platforms is the logistic needed to install them in deep water. The growing need for high capacity anchors has prompted the development of new systems where the feasibility of transporting them out to sea is a crucial consideration. With respect to torpedo piles used by Petrobras in Brazil, new platforms installed in deep water required robust anchoring systems, and a cluster of small torpedoes was considered instead of one large torpedo. However, torpedo pile installation is hindered by deep water streams, which can deviate their trajectory during the fall. This is of great concern for the design of torpedo pile clusters because the distance between the piles cannot be controlled during installation. The present study aims to determine the variation in the load capacity of a cluster or array of single piles as a function of the distance between the piles and the load direction after installation on the seabed. To that end, a series of centrifuge tests were carried out on pile clusters installed in loose sand, varying the distance between the piles and the loading direction. The results show considerable interactions between the adjacent piles depending on the load direction and pile spacing. The optimal spacing for maximum cluster efficiency was determined, and comparisons were made with values from the literature for capped pile clusters.     

Damage assessment of a tunnel-type structure to protect submarine power cables during anchor collisions

The dynamic characteristics of a tunnel structure used to protect underwater power cables, the so-called A-duct, were determined for anchor collisions to provide a procedure for damage assessment and recommendations. The required physical quantities of five target anchors, including the drag coefficient, were obtained using an element-based finite-volume method and ANSYS-CFX software. The terminal velocities of the anchors were then calculated to maximize the colliding kinetic energy. For collision analysis, four parameters (anchor type, ground condition, collision velocity, and collision point) were considered, and the A-duct was modeled based on the Riedel–Hiermaier–Thoma concrete model using ANSYS-Autodyn software. Our analysis results indicated severe damage (D = 1) for most of the gauge points; the damaged area and level increased with the anchor weight. The results showed that the damage was concentrated in the collision area for stock anchors; however, for stockless anchors, damage was also evident in adjacent areas (i.e., damage propagation) due to the anchor head shape as well as the transfer mechanism provided by its reinforcing nets. Accordingly, the 2-ton stock anchor caused more damage at the gauge points near the collision location than the 2-ton stockless anchor. Second, regardless of the ground conditions and rotation angle of the anchor heads with respect to the vertical axis, the damage levels were almost identical. Fixed boundary conditions and non-rotational angle were sufficient for the model used. Third, the damaged areas became smaller when the anchor collision locations deviated from the reference gauge point (P1), i.e., the center of the A-duct. Finally, a comparison of the field-test results to equivalent numerical collision simulations indicated that the size of the predicted and experimentally observed damaged areas were in agreement within 7%.     

基于有限元法的海底管道埋深计算

基于有限元分析程序ANSYS/LS-DYNA分析应急抛锚贯入海床的动态响应过程,并分析不同锚重、水深、抛锚高度、海底底质等因素对锚在海床中贯入量的影响,最终确定锚机影响作用下管道的最佳安全埋深。     

吸力锚的抗拔承载力分析

研究的目标及主要手段是在文献调研的基础上，对现有针对吸力锚的承载力分析方法进行汇总、总结和归纳。通过吸力锚在粘土和砂土2种不同土质中的破坏形式，以及其受力状态的实例分析，提出新的承载力分析方法，能够反映一些主要的影响因素，并力求在已有基础上能有所改进。     

Effects of tension gap on the holding capacity of suction anchors

Suction anchors are popular anchoring solutions for station-keeping of offshore floating facilities. For the in-place holding capacity design of these anchors, there is a debate in practice regarding the possibility of developing a tension gap on the rear side of the anchor and how to account for it in design. This study is carried out to shed further light on this debate. Analytical and finite element analyses are reported in this study which investigate: i) the optimal padeye depths and the influencing factors, for both free gapping and no gapping interface conditions; ii) the effect of tension gap on the anchor's holding capacity when the padeye is placed at optimal depths; iii) the effect of tension gap on the anchor's holding capacity when the padeye is placed at non-optimal depths. Strategy to account for tension gap in practical design is provided.     

上海金茂大厦地锚试验

金茂大厦地下结构支护方案之一是采用地锚作为地下连续墙的锚固结构,为了确定设计参数,验证地锚施工的可行性,开展了一系列科学研究,通过直锚和斜锚的施工工艺现场试验,达到了预期效果。抗拔力达到了设计初定的300t指标要求,为地锚设计与施工提供了依据。     

关于老码头改造工程中基坑开挖问题的研究

在八所老港区泊位改造工程的基坑施工中,由于在锚碇墙与码头前沿之间存在原有结构物的浅基础,且锚碇墙拉杆的安装高程低于原基础的底高程,开挖基坑时必须保证原有结构基础的稳定;锚碇墙开挖位置附近的砂性土层中地下水位较高,基坑开挖时应采取有效降水措施,保证基坑稳定。针对本工程基坑施工中的主要技术问题开展研究,提出相应的工程对策,总结施工经验为类似工程提供参考。     

预制桩承载力时效的人工神经网络预测

分析预制桩单桩承载力时间效应的机理，说明其主要与桩长、桩截面积、土体摩擦角、渗透系数、弹性模量、休止期6个参数有关，建立了考虑时间效应的预测单桩承载力的误差反馈型神经网络模型。该模型充分考虑了桩周土固结对桩承载力的影响，输入层神经元为以上6个参数，物理意义明确且容易确定；训练模式采用共轭梯度法。对34根桩的计算表明该模型预测结果与实测值吻合，说明其是科学有效的。     

海底跨接管安装强度分析（英文）

A subsea flowline jumper(FJ) is a basic connected component for the wet oil tree, subsea pipeline and riser base, and it plays an irreplaceable role in the subsea production system. During the installation of FJ, collisions often happen between FJ and other equipment, which may cause serious damage. Besides, as the operating water depth increases, the demand for the installation equipments, such as the crane and winch, will increase. The research of deepwater FJ installation in China is still in the primary stage, thus an installation method for the deepwater FJ is proposed in this paper. Finite element models of a typical M-shaped FJ installation system are built to simulate the installation procedures. Analysis results show that the installation steps designed are feasible and valid for the deepwater FJ. In order to ensure the safety of the installation process, the collision-sensitive analysis for the FJ is conducted, and results show that it is necessary to set the pick up speed at a proper value, in order to avoid collision in the installation process. Besides, the mechanical characteristics of FJ during the installation are investigated under a range of environmental conditions and it is found that the maximum stress of the FJ always happens at its central position. The basic requirements for the installation equipment are also obtained through the analysis of the main installation steps.     

水位下降对三江下航道影响及治理措施

通过对葛洲坝建坝后宜昌站的水文条件和三江下引航道泥沙冲淤变化分析,得出宜昌水位下降和设计流量下三江现有通航水深及通航能力,对潜坝的局部损失系数、壅水特性、潜坝间距及个数对水位、流速的影响等方面进行了研究,首次提出了计算潜坝群壅水的不同方法,并对整治效果进行了计算。     

Installation strength analysis of subsea flowline jumpers

Subsea flowline jumper (FJ) is basic connection component for the wet oil tree, the subsea pipeline and the riser base, playing an irreplaceable role in the subsea production system. During the installation of FJ, collisions often happen between FJ and other equipment, which may cause serious damage. Besides, as the operating water depth increases, the demand for the installation equipments like the crane and winch will increase. The research of deepwater FJ installation in China is still in the primary stage, so an installation method for deepwater FJ is proposed in this paper. Finite element models of a typical M-shape FJ installation system were built to simulate the installation procedures. Analysis results showed that the installation steps designed for the FJ are feasible and valid for deepwater FJ. In order to ensure the safety of the installation process, the collision-sensitive analysis for the FJ was conducted, and results show that it is necessary to set the pick up speed at a proper value, in order to avoid collision in installation process. Besides, the mechanical characteristics of FJ during the installation were investigated under a range of environmental conditions and it was found that the maximum stress of the FJ always happens at its central position. The basic requirements for the installation equipment were also obtained through the analysis of the main installation steps.     

FPSO单点系泊系统安装及回接技术

单点系泊系统作为浮式生产储油卸油装置（Floating Production Storage and Offloading，FPSO）的核心组成部分，需在FPSO进入安装现场之前完成安装，随后FPSO进入安装现场进行回接。以我国南海某具体工程项目为背景，全面、系统地介绍FPSO悬链腿单点系泊系统的安装及回接方法，并采用OrcaFlex分析软件对各个施工步骤进行相关的模拟分析。该单点系泊系统的整个安装过程可分为抓地锚安装、下段锚腿铺设、锚腿张紧、上段锚腿铺设、单点浮筒拖航及就位和锚系回接单点浮筒等6个阶段。