A study on the estimation of the seaquake response of a floating structure considering the characteristics of seismic wave propagation in the ground and the water

 Seaquakes, which are characterized by the propagation of vertical earthquake motion at the sea bottom as a compression (longitudinal) wave, are reported to cause damage to ships, and their effect on floating structures is a matter of great concern. To comprehend the basic properties of seaquakes, we first discuss a method to calculate the displacement of the seabed when it is subjected to hydrodynamic pressure. To investigate the interrelationship between the vibration of a floating structure and the deformation of the seabed, a new boundary integral equation is derived which assumes that the seabed is a semiinfinite homogeneous elastic solid in order to analyze the seaquake-induced hydrodynamic pressure acting on the floating structure. By considering the propagation of the seismic wave in the ground and in the water, the incident wave potential in seaquake problems is also deduced and its characteristics are discussed. Finally, the response of a very large floating structure in a seaquake is investigated using a fluid force analysis method, and considering the interrelationship between the vibration of the floating structure and the deformation of the seabed. Received: August 19, 2002 / Accepted: November 11, 2002 Address correspondence to: H. Takamura (hiroaki_takamura@nishimatsu.co.jp) Updated from the Japanese original, which won the 2002 SNAJ prize (J Soc Nav Archit Jpn 2001;189:87–92,93–100 and 190:381–386)     

A state-of-the-art review on fatigue life prediction methods for metal structures

 Metals are the most widely used materials in engineering structures, and one of the most common failure modes of metal structures is fatigue failure. Although metal fatigue has been studied for more than 160 years, many problems still remain unsolved. In this article, a state-of-the-art review of metal fatigue is carried out, with particular emphasis on the latest developments in fatigue life prediction methods. All factors which affect the fatigue life of metal structures are grouped into four categories: material, structure, loading, and environment. The effects of these factors on fatigue behavior are also addressed. Finally, potential problems to be resolved in the near future are pointed out. Received: January 7, 2002 / Accepted: March 25, 2002     

Mixed analysis of shell and solid elements using the overlaying mesh method

 This article presents a mixed method of analyzing shell elements and solid elements using the overlaying mesh method. In the structural design of a ship's hull, the shell elements are used for the global model. However, the solid elements are necessary to analyze the stress concentration zones or the vicinity of a crack. In such cases, the models are analyzed using zooming analysis, in which the results of a global model analysis are transferred to a local model analysis by imposing boundary conditions. This method is more advantageous than zooming analysis in terms of the accuracy of the solution and the modeling flexibility. Some examples of a plate model with a cracked surface or with a projection are shown in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. Received: August 6, 2002 / Accepted: November 25, 2002 Address correspondence to: S. Nakasumi (sumi@nasl.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp) Updated from the Japanese original, which won the 2002 SNAJ prize (J Soc Nav Archit Jpn 2001;189:219–224; and 190:655–662)     

一种基于累积损伤理论和裂纹尖端弹塑性应力场的裂纹扩展预测方法

文章提出了一种预测疲劳寿命的应力循环叠加和损伤循环叠加的双重叠加方法。该方法依据累积损伤理论,通过分析变幅载荷下裂纹尖端的应力场,采用应力循环叠加的方法反映残余应力的影响;同时利用SWT应力应变和寿命的关系,循环叠加裂尖损伤。该方法能够很好地反映过载时裂纹扩展的迟滞效应,适合变幅载荷下疲劳寿命的评估分析。     

Numerical simulations of fatigue crack initiation and propagation based on re-tensile plastic zone generating load criterion for in-plane gusset welded joints

Many accidents are caused by fatigue in welded built-up steel structures, and so it is important to estimate the fatigue lives of such structures quantitatively for safety reasons. By assuming that fatigue cracks cannot grow without an accumulation of alternating tensile/compressional plastic strain, one of the authors identified an improved effective stress intensity factor range ΔK _RPG based on the re-tensile plastic zone generating (RPG) load, which represents the driving force for fatigue cracks, and suggested that ΔK _RPG should be used as the parameter to describe fatigue crack growth behavior. The “FLARP” numerical simulation code in which ΔK _RPG is implemented as the fatigue crack growth parameter, was developed in order to predict fatigue crack initiation and propagation behavior. In this paper, it is demonstrated that FLARP gives accurate estimates for fatigue life by comparing the estimated fatigue crack growth curves and S–N curves with the experimental results for in-plane gusset welded joints, which are used in many welded steel structures. Moreover, the effect of induced bending moment due to the linear misalignment in the out of plane direction on the fatigue strength of in-plane gusset welded joints is investigated through numerical simulations.     

Contribution of supposed wave condition on the long-term distribution of a wave-induced load

This report is concerned with the statistical analysis of the long-term distribution of a wave-induced load, and examines which factors influence the long-term distribution of the load level, e.g., the significant wave height, the mean wave period of the supposed wave condition, and the relative angle between the ship's course and the wave direction. The long-term distribution is broken down into these factors, and a contribution rate analysis method for each factor in each load level in the long-term distribution is introduced. Based on the method used, the contribution rate of a specific mean wave period and a wave angle encountered is clarified, when the long-term distribution is larger than other wave periods and wave angles. The specific mean wave period and wave angle encountered are defined as the wave condition which governs the long-term distribution. The maximum wave-induced load in the vicinity of a probability of exceedance of around 10⁻⁸ in the long-term distribution is decided by the most severe short-term wave condition which has the largest significant wave height with a specific mean wave period. Based on S–N curves and Miner's rule, the relation between the fatigue damage and the supposed wave condition is examined. The contribution rate analysis method for fatigue damage is introduced. The governing wave condition and the most severe short-term wave condition also have an important effect on the fatigue damage. A simple estimation method for the long-term distribution, described by the Weibull distribution from the statistical properties of the most severe short-term wave condition, is introduced. Several examples show the applicability of the estimation method. Received: November 22, 2001 / Accepted: January 9, 2002     

Development of a computer-aided process planning system based on a knowledge base

 Process planning for a hull structure defines the assembly sequence of the hull block. Although this activity is very important because the working strategy defines the production costs, to date it has been done manually. To raise the efficiency of this process, we developed a practical computer-aided process planning system. It has been developed using deliverables obtained from advanced computer integrated manufacturing system (CIM; ACIM) for shipbuilding projects sponsored by the Ship and Ocean Foundation (SOF). The system has a knowledge base which contains the know-how of skilled designers as well as design practices, and allows the assembly sequence of hull parts and intermediate products to be defined automatically. The system has been integrated with the shipyard CAD system MATES, and put to practical use. Received: August 19, 2002 / Accepted: November 25, 2002 Address correspondence to: Y. Sasaki (yuuichi_sasaki@mhi.co.jp) Updated from the Japanese original, which won the 2002 SNAJ prize (J Soc Nav Archit Jpn 2001;189:309–315)     

Structural safety assessment of a pontoon-type VLFS considering damage to the breakwater

 A structural safety assessment of a pontoon-type very large floating structure (VLFS) surrounded by a gravity-type breakwater was carried out for extreme wave conditions by considering the damage to the breakwater. Bending and shear collapses are considered to be a failure mode of the floating structure, while overturning damages the breakwater. The probability of the breakwater overturning, and the transmitted wave height before and after damage to the breakwater, are evaluated using design formulae for port and harbor facilities in Japan. The ultimate bending and shear strengths of the floating structure are calculated by the idealized structural unit method (ISUM) and FEM, respectively. The calculated failure probability for the floating structure is compared with the specified target safety level. It was found that the floating structure under consideration is most likely to fail by bending in transverse waves, and that the corresponding failure probability satisfies the target level. Received: September 12, 2002 / Accepted: October 4, 2002 Acknowledgment. The authors are grateful to Dr. Shigeo Ohmatsu, National Maritime Research Institute, Japan, for allowing us to use the program of hydroelastic response analysis. Address correspondence to: M. Fujikubo (e-mail: fujikubo@naoe.hiroshima-u.ac.jp) Updated from the Japanese original, which won the 2002 SNAJ prize (J Soc Arthit Jpn 2002;190:337–345)     

Study on real-time estimation of the ship motion cross spectra

 Time-varying coefficient vector autoregressive (T-VVAR) modeling with instantaneous responses is applied to spectrum analysis based on the nonstationary motion data of ships. Because of the ship's maneuvers, changes such as course and speed, the ship motions in waves are regarded as a nonstationary random process, although the seaway can be considered as a stationary stochastic process. The T-VVAR model is transformed into a state space model, and the time-varying coefficients can be evaluated by using the Kalman filter algorithm. Using the estimated time-varying coefficients, the instantaneous cross spectra of the ship motions can be calculated at every moment. In order to examine the reliability of the proposed procedure, on-board tests were carried out. Under stationary conditions, at a constant speed and course, the proposed method shows good agreement with stationary vector autoregressive (SVAR) modeling analysis. Moreover, it is confirmed that the proposed method can estimate the instantaneous cross spectra of the ship motions even under nonstationary conditions, showing that this is a powerful tool for on-line analysis of the nonstationary motion data of ships. Received: August 2, 2002 / Accepted: November 28, 2002 Acknowledgments. The authors thank the captain and crew of the training ship Shioji Maru, Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine. Address correspondence to: T. Iseki (iseki@ipc.tosho-u.ac.jp) Updated from the Japanese original, which won the 2002 SNAJ prize (J Soc Nav Archit Jpn 2001;190:161–168)     

Analysis of the slowly varying drift force on a very large floating structure in multidirectional random seas

In designing the mooring system of a very large floating structure (VLFS), it is essential to estimate the slowly varying drift force in random seas. For a small vessel, Hsu's method or Newman's approximation may be used to simulate this slowly varying drift force. However, based on experiments and/or field observations, it was found that the slowly varying drift force acting on a VLFS could be reduced to a great extent from the simulated values based on those methods. Thus, the conventional methods are not applicable for a VLFS. This discovery led to the development of several methods for estimating the slowly varying drift force on a VLFS, e.g., Namba et al. (J Soc Nav Archit Jpn 186:235–242, 1999), and Shimada and Maruyama (J Soc Nav Archit Jpn 190:347–351, 2001). However, Namba's method is only applicable to a pontoon-type VLFS with a shallow draft, and Shimada's method is too simplified to account for the general shape of a VLFS and elastic deformation. These methods have been expanded in this article, and by our proposed method, any shape of VLFS and the effect of elastic deformation of the VLFS can be included. Formulations and several numerical examples are given.     

Large-amplitude motion responses of a Ro–Ro ship to regular oblique waves in intact and damaged conditions

This article presents a nonlinear time-domain simulation method for the prediction of large-amplitude motions of a Ro–Ro ship in regular oblique waves in an intact and a damaged condition. Numerical computations and model tests have been carried out to investigate the dynamic motion responses of Ro–Ro ship Dextra to various wave amplitudes at three different wave headings. The results of numerical and experimental investigations for stern quartering waves are reviewed. Comparisons between predictions and measurements show good agreement except in the roll-resonant region. Nonlinear effects are significant in horizontal modes of motion, and resonant roll motion, and there is strong coupling between all modes of motion in the roll-resonant region for large-amplitude responses. On the other hand, the time-domain simulation technique suffers from numerical drift in horizontal modes of motion as wave amplitude increases. This is due to nonlinear equations of motion and the lack of a restoring force and moment in horizontal motion. Received: April 30, 2002 / Accepted: August 9, 2002 Acknowledgments. II Programme of the European Community Commission under contract No. BRPR-CT97-0513. Address correspondence to: H.S. Chan (hoi-sang.chan@ncl.ac.uk)     

圆筒型FPSO上部模块支撑结构疲劳分析

与船型FPSO相比,圆筒型FPSO没有明显的总纵弯曲,上部模块与船体结构之间通常采用刚性支墩来连接,水平运动所产生的弯矩和装/卸载引起的船体垂向变形对模块支撑结构的影响较为显著。因此,以“希望6号”圆筒型FPSO上部模块支撑结构为研究对象,基于DNVGL船级社规范,介绍一种简化疲劳分析方法。以FPSO运动加速度和船体变形载荷作为载荷输入条件,利用SESAM/GeniE软件进行有限元分析,得到结构在所有组合工况下应力的扫描计算结果。根据作业海域各个方向波浪发生的概率,运用简化疲劳分析方法计算得到所关注节点的疲劳损伤和各个工况对结构节点疲劳损伤度的贡献。结果表明,所关注节点的疲劳强度均满足设计疲劳强度要求;同一节点的疲劳损伤对不同浪向的敏感度不一样。该简化疲劳分析方法同样适用于承受周期性载荷的FPSO上部模块主结构和其他型式海洋结构物的疲劳分析。     

基于规范方法的小水线面双体船疲劳强度研究

论文介绍了船舶结构疲劳强度评估基本原理,并对一条2200t级小水线面双体船进行规范法疲劳强度评估。针对小水线面双体船结构特点,采用规范进行疲劳载荷计算;结合全船有限元计算结果进行疲劳部位筛选;采用有限元法提取疲劳部位的热点应力,并计算疲劳部位的累积损伤度。分析计算结果,提出疲劳部位优化方案。     

Predicting parametric rolling in irregular head seas with added resistance taken into account

Parametric rolling in irregular head seas is investigated using numerical simulation in the time domain in this paper. The effect of the change in speed due to added resistance on parametric rolling is taken into account. Three methods of calculating the added resistance in irregular head seas are applied to this problem, and then Pinkster’s method, which considers the time-varying added resistance in irregular head seas, is extended for further investigations in this paper. Furthermore, the Froude–Krylov component of restoring variation is estimated with coupling from heave and pitch motions, and the hydrodynamic effects are extrapolated nonlinearly with regards to roll angle. Finally, the “practical non-ergodicity” of parametric roll is investigated with a model experiment at zero forward speed and using the simulation, and the effect of added resistance is investigated with the simulation.     

Outline of scientific ocean drilling and specifications of riser drilling vessel Chikyu

 The Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) has been, and is now promoting the “OD21” program (i.e., “Ocean drilling in the 21st century”). This is the first plan in the world to utilize deep-water riser-drilling technologies for scientific drilling. One of the important factors for the success of this program is the development of a high-performance drilling vessel. Since 1990, JAMSTEC has been continuing a technological study of a riser-drilling vessel for scientific studies with an operational capability in waters up to 4000 m deep. It was decided to start the construction with a two-phase plan: a vessel with a riser operation for waters up to 2500 m deep will be constructed in the initial stage, and then the vessel will be modified to a 4000-m depth capability. In the development process of the vessel, named Chikyu, many new technical developments have taken place, such as drilling/coring equipment, a dynamic positioning system, etc. Thus, the Chikyu is expected to contribute to ocean engineering and other work, in addition to scientific advances. Received: June 15, 2002 / Accepted: November 11, 2002 Address correspondence to: Y. Yano (e-mail: yanoy@jamstec.go.jp)     

Application of analytical model in the prediction of dynamic responses and fatigue damage of flexible risers: Part II – Dynamic analysis of flexible risers in large-scale domain using a direct moment correction method

In recent years, the dynamic responses of flexible risers have been the focus of many researchers. Most flexible risers undergo a substantial level of irregular motion from environmental loadings, which involves a continuous slip of helical wires. The slip of helical wires especially leads to a hysteretic effect by reducing the bending stiffness, making it hard to predict the dynamic responses of flexible risers. The current study, as an extension to Part I, presents a new large-scale dynamic analysis method for flexible risers. The suggested method creates a large-scale model for the dynamic analysis that considers a geometric and bending nonlinearity of flexible risers. The kinematics of each beam element is formulated based on a Green-Lagrangian strain and the interaction with the seabed, providing a realistic analysis of flexible risers. In particular, the current study introduces a direct moment correction method that modifies the internal force vector using an improved analytical model. The improved analytical model is assigned at each node of the large-scale model and estimates an accurate bending hysteresis curve considering the effect of shear deformation and varying tension. The suggested method corrects the bending moment and shear force of all beam elements based on the bending hysteresis curves obtained from the improved analytical model, by which a complex bending behavior of flexible risers is reflected in a large-scale domain. As a result, this study achieves a more accurate prediction of the dynamic responses and fatigue damage of flexible risers. A new dynamic analysis program, called OPFLEX, is developed herein based on the suggested analysis method. Using the developed program, the current study conducts several numerical investigations to identify the effect of the shear deformation and varying tension. Consequently, it is confirmed that the shear deformation of internal layers reduces the fatigue damage of helical wires by delaying the increase of internal stress. It is also identified that the effect of varying tension deteriorates the fatigue life of flexible risers through a continuous change of contact pressure during bending.     

Comparison of CFD and EFD for the Series 60 C B= 0.6 in steady drift motion

 This paper presents comparisons of computational and experimental fluid dynamics results for boundary layers, wakes, and wave fields for the Series 60 C _B= 0.6 ship model in steady drift motion. The numerical method solves the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes and continuity equations with the Baldwin–Lomax turbulence model, exact nonlinear kinematic and approximate dynamic free-surface boundary conditions, and a body/free-surface conforming grid. The experimental and computational conditions, i.e., Froude numbers of 0.16 and 0.316 for the experiments, and Froude numbers of 0 and 0.316 for the computations, allow comparisons of low and high Froude number results, respectively, which allows an evaluation of Froude number effects and validation of the computational fluid dynamics at both low and high Froude numbers. This article gives an overview of this numerical approach, and the computational conditions and uncertainty analysis are described. Results are presented for the wave and flow fields, with emphasis on the important flow features of drift- and wave-induced effects in comparison with the experiments. Finally, conclusions from the present study are given, together with recommendations for future work. Received: August 31, 2001 / Accepted: March 25, 2002     

Structural behavior and design of high-strength steel welded tubular connections under extreme loading

The present work is motivated by the increasing need for cost-efficient solutions in offshore structural systems for wind energy production and for improvement of their structural performance. The structural behavior and design of high-strength steel welded tubular connections (yield strength higher than 700 MPa) subjected to monotonic and strong cyclic loading is investigated. In the first part of the paper, an experimental investigation is presented on high-strength steel tubular X-joints subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading far beyond the elastic limit of the material, leading to weld fracture. Two grades of weld metal material are employed in the welding process of the specimens. The experimental results indicate that the weld material grade has a significant influence on the deformation capacity of the welded connection under monotonic loading conditions, and its low-cycle fatigue life. The experimental procedure is simulated using advanced finite element models, elucidating several features of joint behavior and complementing the experimental results. Overall, a good agreement is found between numerical simulations and experimental results, in terms of both global response and local strains at the vicinity of the welds. Furthermore, the structural performance of the welded tubular joints under consideration is assessed using available design methodologies in terms of both ultimate strength and low-cycle fatigue resistance, in an attempt to validate an efficient design methodology for low-cycle fatigue. The results from this research effort are aimed at developing the necessary background for the possible use of high-strength steel in tubular steel lattice structures, particularly in offshore platforms for renewable energy production. They can also be used as a basis for the possible amendment of relevant design specifications and recommendations for including special provisions for high-strength steel structural systems.     

Finite-volume simulation method to predict the performance of a sailing boat

 A flow-simulation method was developed to predict the performance of a sailing boat in unsteady motion on a free surface. The method is based on the time-marching, finite-volume method and the moving grid technique, including consideration of the free surface and the deformation of the under-water shape of the boat due to its arbitrary motion. The equation of motion with six degrees of freedom is solved by the use of the fluid-dynamic forces and moments obtained from the flow simulation. The sailing conditions of the boat are virtually realized by combining the simulations of water-flow and the motion of the boat. The availability is demonstrated by calculations of the steady advancing, rolling, and maneuvering motions of International America's Cup Class (IACC) sailing boats. Received: December 25, 2001 / Accepted: March 26, 2002     

循环载荷下考虑累积塑性影响的含中心穿透裂纹板CTOD研究

裂纹尖端张开位移(CTOD)是评估结构材料韧性以及分析低周疲劳破坏引起的裂纹扩展的重要参量。结合Dugdale模型,以裂纹尖端累积塑性应变为控制参量,提出了一个循环载荷下含裂纹船体板的CTOD计算模型;利用有限元法模拟了裂纹尖端累积塑性应变、平均应力、裂纹长度等相关因素影响;结合最小二乘法拟合出了基于累积塑性塑性应变、平均应力比以及裂纹长度的两阶多项式。研究表明,基于累积塑性应变的CTOD计算模型为正确评估循环载荷下船体板的累积塑性破坏提供了一种新途径。