Fatigue assessment of ship structures based on equivalent wave probability (EWP) concept (1st report): Proposal of EWP concept and its verification by 8600TEU container ship's onboard hull monitoring

A long-term fatigue assessment method based on EWP concept is proposed. ‘Equivalent wave probability (EWP)’ is the fictitious (H_S, T_m)'s joint probability distribution function (JPDF), for which the frequency distribution of the stress variance R², f(R²), calculated by spectral fatigue assessment agrees with the observed one. By choosing probability function p(R²) to fit f(R²), the R²'s statistical model (R2SM) which represents the relation between the EWP parameters and R²'s population parameters is developed, and the Bayesian inference, which can estimate the EWP parameters from the measured R² data is developed. The EWP at the reference position (RP) can be determined by Bayesian inference from the measured R² through the R2SM at RP. To accurately estimate the measured f(R²) at the target position (TP) from the EWP at RP, an R2SM correction factor at TP, denoted by α_TP, is introduced in the process of assimilating R2SM. The resulting R2SM, which has been assimilated by Bayesian inference using measured data, is referred to as data-assimilated R2SM (DAR2SM). The fatigue assessment using EWP at RP as the input of DAR2SM at TP is called Bayes-EWP-DAR2SM analysis. The validity of Bayes-EWP-DAR2SM analysis is verified by using the long-term (about four years) multi(12)-position hull monitoring (HM) data of an 8,600TEU container ship. The fatigue damages estimated by Bayes-EWP-DAR2SM based solely on the stress history of a single sensor are in agreement with measurements with sufficient accuracy, independent of the chosen data assimilation period. This demonstrates that the multi-position fatigue assessment solely through HM at one RP based on EWP concept is realized.     

Fatigue tests on grouted connection segment specimens in offshore wind turbine structures considering water ingression

Grouted connections (GCs) are widely used to connect superstructures and driven piles in offshore wind turbine structures. They resist fatigue loading in marine splash zones and even submerged environments. In this paper, six GC segment specimens were designed and tested under fatigue loading in both the air and water ingression conditions. The results in the air condition showed that for the specimens with lower loading ranges, the strain distributions and residual displacements stabilized after 20 thousand load cycles. These conditions persisted until the end of the test with two million cycles, with only a few tiny cracks appearing on the grout material surface. Meanwhile, wide cracks and grout material exfoliation were found in specimens with higher loading ranges. The residual displacement accumulated gradually, which eventually caused the termination of the test when it reached 5 mm after 1.3 million cycles. The results in the water ingression condition showed that the water had entered into the micro-cracks of the grout material, which severely degraded the fatigue behavior of the GC specimens. Even in lower loading ranges, specimens W-1 and W-2 only endured 0.264 million and 64 thousand load cycles before the displacement of the top clamp reached −10 mm. Compared with two specimens tested in the air, with a total displacement of less than −0.7 mm after two million load cycles, the severe deteriorating effect of water ingression on the fatigue behavior of GCs was apparent.     

Parametric method for the assessment of fatigue damage for marine shaft lines

An original parametric method is introduced for the assessment of the fatigue life of marine shaft lines. The particularity of the method lies in the fact it introduces a relevant load modelling around a limited number of parameters specific to marine shaft lines while depicting the loading complexity (multiaxiality, mean stress effect, non-proportionality of the loading path). The method is designed to allow for assessments, in both in-use and pre-design phase shafts, towards a particular fatigue damage mode. The observations made in this study show two damage modes. On one hand, a damage mode issued from multiaxial cycles and associated with ship maneuvers, corresponding to HCF regime. On the other hand, there is a damage mode in the VHCF regime resulting from bending stress cycles due to the structure rotary bending.     

Investigation on fatigue characteristics of transparent submersible manned cabin structure

Fatigue life prediction of transparent submersible manned cabin (TSMC) structure is investigated. Firstly, a simplified mechanical model of a cylindrical shell-hemispherical shell (CS-HS) structure is established, and the strength characteristic of the TSMC structure is gained, as well as deflections and displacements are obtained by solving the model with the non-moment theory and moment theory. Secondly, the load history of the TSMC structure is analyzed, and the load spectrum of this structure is got by analyzing and fitting the existing diving data. Finally, a method of nonlinear virtual interval division technique for the load spectrum is first presented. The predicted results have excellent agreement with the experimental data. The results show that the working depth of the large-deep deep manned cabins is within the range of 0 m–500 m, while the load history is composed of the submersible loading-uploading-unloading and payload-uplifting-unloading. In addition, the load spectrum shows that the number of dives is within the range from 299.7 m to 432.9 m. The proposed model can efficiently provide a guideline of the design and manufacturing of the transparent submersible manned cabin structure.