Development of interlink wear estimation method for mooring chain of floating structures: Validation and new approach using three-dimensional contact response

Long-term operation of mooring systems is one of the challenging issues of floating structures such as floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs). For integrity assessment, fatigue and its affecting factors have generated considerable recent research interest as the occurrence of a large number of mooring chain failures at a high rate has been reported. By contrast, only few studies on the effect of nonuniform volume loss of mooring chain links due to wear can be found because of difficulties to estimate wear amounts quantitatively. Considering this issue, in this paper, validation of the quantitative interlink wear estimation method is investigated by applying to a spar-type floating structure. Firstly, the method is presented which consists of the material test, derivation of an interlink wear estimation formula with FE analysis, and calculation of mooring chain response with coupled dynamic analysis using a mass-spring model. To improve insufficient accuracy due to the mass-spring model around a clump weight and the touchdown point, the method is further modified by using a 3-D rigid-body link model. The estimation results and comparison show that the modified method distinguishing between rolling and sliding can calculate the interlink wear amount closer to the chain diameter measurements and more reasonable than the method using the conventional mass-spring model.     

Selection of appropriate numerical models for modelling the stresses in mooring chains

Mooring chains are key components for floating platforms. The failure of these components can be catastrophic in terms of the economic and environmental impacts, especially when dealing with the potential failure of FPSOs. However, mooring failures have been regularly occurring much earlier in their service lives than expected, with almost 50% of the reported failures happening in the first 3 years of 20-year design lives. Although the operating stresses play a major role in determining the failure mechanisms of mooring chains, the methods of predicting the operating stresses in mooring chains vary in the openly available literature, and the accuracy of these different numerical methods for predicting types of mooring failures is unknown. There is currently little evidence provided for when one model is appropriate for a particular scenario. Therefore, this paper benchmarks the different available methods for modelling mooring chains under tension, including FE models found in the literature. These models are calibrated and verified against previous studies and compared with experiments and a developed FE explicit model. There is a significant difference in the way that the numerical models behave, which are discussed in terms of their applicability and limitations in modelling mooring chains. The results of this study show that the explicit modelling approach should be utilised for accurate assessment of mooring lines, as it provides the most realistic response, with a substantial reduction in the computational cost and without any convergence problems.     

An integrated methodology for the design of mooring systems and risers

Traditionally, the design of mooring lines and risers of floating production systems (FPS) has been performed separately, by different teams, employing uncoupled analysis tools that do not consider the nonlinear interaction between the platform hull and the mooring lines and risers. Design processes have been focused on fulfilling the design criteria of the respective component (mooring/riser) alone, with few or no consideration to the other component, and little interaction between the design teams. Nowadays the importance of employing analysis tools based on coupled formulations is widely recognized, and analysis strategies have been proposed to consider feedback between mooring lines and risers within their respective design processes.In this context, this work details a proposal of one single and fully integrated design methodology for mooring systems and risers for deep-water FPS. In this methodology, the design stages of both risers and mooring lines are incorporated in a single spiral, allowing the full interaction of different teams; mooring design implicitly considers the riser integrity, and vice-versa, leading to gains in efficiency and cost reduction.Different analysis strategies are employed, taking advantage of uncoupled and coupled numerical models. The models generated at the initial/intermediate design stages can be reused in subsequent stages: simpler models are used in the initial stages, and more refined models are gradually introduced, to reach an ideal balance between computational cost and accuracy of results. In the advanced stages, the exchange of information between mooring/riser also allows the definition of criteria for the selection of governing/critical loading cases to be revised and verified in detail. This leads to the reduction of the original loading case matrix, allowing a feasible use of time-consuming fully coupled analysis.Results of a case study illustrating the application of some of the main processes of the methodology are included.     

Optimization of mooring systems in the context of an integrated design methodology

This work describes an enhanced mooring optimization procedure, oriented towards recent floating production systems (FPS) for oil & gas exploitation in ultra-deep-water scenarios, which may present a large number of risers in an asymmetric layout. Acknowledging that the risers are the key component of an FPS, the optimization procedure is associated to an integrated mooring-riser design methodology; thus, instead of simply minimizing the platform offsets and/or the costs of the mooring system itself, one of the main objectives is to obtain a mooring configuration that ensures the integrity of the risers. Other highlights of the optimization procedure include the following aspects: Enhancements in the modeling of the optimization problem (including the definition of design variables, objective function and constraints that are relevant for such actual applications); The use of the PSO optimization algorithm associated to the ε-constrained method to efficiently handle the constraints; Enhancements in the evaluation of candidate solutions, by full nonlinear time-domain dynamic Finite Element simulations with coupled models; and the implementation in a parallel computing environment to deal with the high associated computational costs. A case study considering an FPS representative of actual applications in deepwater scenarios is presented to illustrate the practical application of the optimization tool.     

On the importance of mooring system parametrisation for accurate floating structure designs

This paper analyses the importance of mooring design parametrisation on the dynamic behaviour of mooring loads. An exhaustive sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the variability of mooring loads because of inaccuracies in the definition of model inputs, including physical and numerical parameters. Results show a relevant dependence on the length and significance in other parameters, such as the weight together with the hydrodynamic equivalent diameter and the drag forces. An inaccuracy below 1% in the mooring reference length can generate loads of up to twice the design, and an incorrect definition of the weight or the drag coefficient in the mooring design can lead to a design load variability of up to 30%. Stiffness plays a crucial role in snap events, reaching load differences of 19% depending on the stiffness selected.This research is based on a set of numerical models capable of predicting the mooring system response. A dynamic numerical model with two schemes of resolution is implemented and calibrated according to an experimental test campaign. Other sources of results provided by a quasi-static model and commercial software, Sesam (DNV-GL), are incorporated. In general, the dynamic numerical models show a good accuracy with an experimental database composed by a set of 2D prescribed movement tests at the fairlead of the mooring system.     

Dynamics of an ultra-deepwater mooring line with embedded chain segment

A code is developed to study the mooring tensions on a line with an embedded segment considered, based on lumped mass method. The accuracy of this code is validated by published results. The influence of soil-chain interaction on the static and dynamic behaviour of a 1500 m mooring line is studied under two operational situations: shallow embedded taut mooring line and deep embedded semi-taut mooring line. The shallow case has an embedded depth setting as 10 m under seafloor, while the embedded depth is 20 m for deep water. To study the influence of soil on mooring dynamics, three simplified cases without soil force considered are investigated and the results are compared with the dynamics of embedded mooring. These three cases include: i) Case MA has the same spread distance to embedded mooring anchored on seafloor; ii) Case MB is anchored on seafloor and it has the same pretension with embedded mooring; iii) Case MC is anchored to the same point to the embedded mooring but the soil force is not considered. Furthermore, the effects of effective width parameters of tangential and bearing soil resistance on mooring dynamics are also discussed. In this work, three different oscillations are forced on fairlead to study the mooring dynamics, which are low frequency oscillation, hybrid oscillation (low frequency and wave frequency) and wave frequency oscillation.     

不锈钢海洋微生物腐蚀研究

概述不锈钢微生物腐蚀的国内外研究现状,阐述微生物腐蚀的研究方法及不锈钢微生物腐蚀模型,并对未来的研究重点进行展望。     

文昌脐带缆J型牵拉入位操作的水动力分析

参考863文昌脐带缆截面设计及具体工作环境参数,利用水动力分析软件Orcaflex建立了文昌缆J型管牵拉入位的水动力分析模型,计算了脐带缆在牵拉入位过程中的水动力响应。并结合有水动力分析结果,给出了该脐带缆的相关力学性能和在牵拉入位中应注意的事项,对实际工程实践有一定的指导意义。     

Iterative methodology for response based analysis of an FPSO mooring system

Response based analysis (RBA) has been developed for prediction of extreme N-year return period responses and design metocean conditions of offshore structures. For applying the RBA, the behaviour of the offshore system subjected to a long history of metocean conditions needs to be predicted, and then, the probabilistic analysis is applied to estimate its long-term responses. Due to the large number of analysis cases required, the structural simulation is usually performed either by simplifying the structural model or by using computationally efficient tools, such as frequency-domain (FD) analysis. These approaches usually decrease the accuracy of predictions mainly when they are utilized for nonlinear systems. On the other hand, employing time-domain (TD) simulations leads to more accurate results but it is computationally expensive. Application of RBA for a weathervaning FPSO, which is the subject of the present study, makes TD analysis an essential requirement because of a highly nonlinear behaviour of the system. In the present study, an efficient methodology is proposed that aims at reducing the computational efforts of RBA by joint application of TD and FD simulations in combining the structural and statistical analyses through a single process, such that the number of time-consuming TD simulations is minimized. After initial screening using the results from FD simulations, the methodology identifies the response events (storms) that contribute the most to the N-year response and sets out an iterative process in which only those events that are most important are analysed by fully-coupled TD simulations. Within such events, a similar approach is also applied to intervals (sea states) where only the most contributing intervals are analysed in TD, and the remaining intervals are left for a less accurate FD analysis without sacrificing the overall accuracy. The proposed methodology provides a robust framework for distinguishing between “mild” and “severe” response events, without specifying any predefined limits for the metocean parameters or making a subjective judgement. Although it is developed for the mooring system of a weathervaning FPSO, it should also be applicable to any type of offshore structure and any structural response. This paper is the first part of the study and concentrates on the development of the efficient methodology to optimize the application of RBA to FPSO mooring systems, whilst its detailed application is subject of the second part of the study.     

An overview of maintenance management strategies for corroded steel structures in extreme marine environments

Maintenance is playing an important role in integrity management of marine assets such as ship structures, offshore renewable energy platforms and subsea oil and gas facilities. The service life of marine assets is heavily influenced by the involvement of numerous material degradation processes (such as fatigue cracking, corrosion and pitting) as well as environmental stresses that vary with geographic locations and climatic factors. The composition of seawater constituents (e.g. dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature content, etc.) is one of the major influencing factors in degradation of marine assets. Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance management strategies can have a significant impact on operational availability and reliability of marine assets. Many research studies have been conducted over the past few decades to predict the degradation behaviour of marine structures operating under different environmental conditions. The utilisation of structural degradation data – particularly on marine corrosion – can be very useful in developing a reliable, risk-free and cost-effective maintenance strategy. This paper presents an overview of the state-of-the-art and future trends in asset maintenance management strategies applied to corroded steel structures in extreme marine environments. The corrosion prediction models as well as industry best practices on maintenance of marine steel structures are extensively reviewed and analysed. Furthermore, some applications of advanced technologies such as computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), artificial intelligence (AI) and Bayesian network (BN) are discussed. Our review reveals that there are significant variations in corrosion behaviour of marine steel structures and their industrial maintenance practices from one climatic condition to another. This has been found to be largely attributed to variation in seawater composition/characteristics and their complex mutual relationships.     

A survey on modeling and control of thruster-assisted position mooring systems

This review presents a systematic summary of the state-of-the-art development of technological solutions, modeling, and control strategies of thruster-assisted position mooring (TAPM) systems. The survey serves as a starting point for exploring automatic control and real-time monitoring solutions proposed for TAPM systems. A brief historical background of the mooring systems is given. The kinematics and a simplified kinetic control-design model of a TAPM system are derived in accordance with established control methods, including a quasistatic linearized model for the restoring and damping forces based on low-frequency horizontal motions of the vessel. In addition, another two mooring line models, i.e., the catenary equation and the finite element method model, are presented for the purpose of higher-fidelity simulations. The basic TAPM control strategies are reviewed, including heading control, surge-sway damping, roll–pitch damping (for semisubmersibles), and line break detection and compensation. Details on the concepts of setpoint chasing for optimal positioning of a vessel at the equilibrium position are discussed based on balancing the mooring forces with the environmental loads and avoiding mooring line failure modes. One method for setpoint chasing is the use of a structural reliability index, accounting for both mean mooring line tensions and dynamic effects. Another method is the use of a lowpass filter on the position of the vessel itself, to provide a reference position. The most advanced method seems to be the use of a fault-tolerant control framework that, in addition to direct fault detection and isolation in the mooring system, incorporates minimization of either the low-frequency tensions in the mooring lines or minimization of the reliability indices for the mooring lines to select the optimal directions for the setpoint to move. A hybrid (or supervisory switching) control method is also presented, where a best-fit control law and observer law are automatically selected among a bank of control and observer algorithms based on the supervision of the sea-state and automatic switching logic.     

Low-cycle fatigue assessment of offshore mooring chains under service loading

The integrity of mooring chains is essential to the safety of a range of offshore platforms. However, mooring line failures are occurring earlier than their design lives, with a high number of these failures occurring due to fatigue. Early in the fatigue life of the component fatigue initiation processes occur, where the fatigue hotspot is sensitive to the mean load and there is plastic strain accumulation from the multiaxial stress-strain responses of the material, leading to cyclic plastic damage accumulation. The traditional SN approach suggested by mooring standards does not consider these effects, and it is proposed that this lack of consideration under low-cycle fatigue conditions is the reason for the current non-conservative fatigue assessments of mooring chains. This paper aims to develop a fatigue approach based on a critical plane multiaxial fatigue criterion for mooring chains that can consider the damage-induced by the cyclic plasticity and the mean load effect, to investigate the importance of incorporating low-cycle fatigue into the mooring chain life prediction. To develop the critical plane approach, the multiaxial stress-strain states are extracted for the critical plane at the fatigue hotspot from a finite element model of a mooring chain. This is then correlated with a fatigue life prediction provided by conventional fatigue design data. It uses a simulation of an FPSO as a case study to demonstrate the importance of low cycle fatigue, which shows that the mean load effect is significant in reducing the fatigue life for mooring chain applications, while the effect of fatigue damage-induced cyclic plasticity is limited. The fatigue damage accumulation predicted by the critical plane approach is significantly higher than that of the traditional SN approach and should be accounted for in mooring line design.     

A simplified method for reliability- and integrity-based design of engineering systems and its application to offshore mooring systems

This paper presents a simplified method for the reliability- and the integrity-based optimal design of engineering systems and its application to offshore mooring systems. The design of structural systems is transitioning from the conventional methods, which are based on factors of safety, to more advanced methods, which require calculation of the failure probability of the designed system for each project. Using factors of safety to account for the uncertainties in the capacity (strength) or demands can lead to systems with different reliabilities. This is because the number and arrangement of components in each system and the correlation of their responses could be different, which could affect the system reliability. The generic factors of safety that are specified at the component level do not account for such differences. Still, using factors of safety, as a measure of system safety, is preferred by many engineers because of the simplicity in their application. The aim of this paper is to provide a simplified method for design of engineering systems that directly involves the system annual failure probability as a measure of system safety, concerning system strength limit state. In this method, using results of conventional deterministic analysis, the optimality factors for an integrity-based optimal design are used instead of generic safety factors to assure the system safety. The optimality factors, which estimate the necessary change in average component capacities, are computed especially for each component and a target system annual probability of system failure using regression models that estimate the effect of short and long term extreme events on structural response. Because in practice, it is convenient to use the return period as a measure to quantify the likelihood of extreme events, the regression model in this paper is a relationship between the component demands and the annual probability density function corresponding to every return period. This method accounts for the uncertainties in the environmental loads and structural capacities, and identifies the target mean capacity of each component for maximizing its integrity and meeting the reliability requirement. In addition, because various failure modes in a structural system can lead to different consequences (including damage costs), a method is introduced to compute optimality factors for designated failure modes. By calculating the probability of system failure, this method can be used for risk-based decision-making that considers the failure costs and consequences. The proposed method can also be used on existing structures to identify the riskiest components as part of inspection and improvement planning. The proposed method is discussed and illustrated considering offshore mooring systems. However, the method is general and applicable also to other engineering systems. In the case study of this paper, the method is first used to quantify the reliability of a mooring system, then this design is revised to meet the DNV recommended annual probability of failure and for maximizing system integrity as well as for a designated failure mode in which the anchor chains are the first components to fail in the system.     

Remaining fatigue life assessment of corroded mooring chains using crack growth modelling

Failures caused by the combined actions of fatigue, corrosion and wear are important safety concerns for mooring chains used on floating structures in the oil and gas industry. Prediction of remaining corrosion fatigue life based on surface condition could therefore be a useful tool for the continued safe operation of corroded chains. This paper investigates the use of crack growth modelling for estimating the remaining corrosion fatigue life of mooring chains that exhibit significant pitting corrosion damage. A crack growth modelling approach is used to produce remaining fatigue life estimates for a selection of severely pitted mooring chains. Using fatigue crack growth rate test results for grade R4 high strength mooring chain steel, empirical crack growth laws are presented for free corrosion and cathodic protection conditions at load ratio R = 0.1. Two different methods for establishing equivalent cracks from surface scans of corrosion damage are presented. The mooring chains are proof loaded as part of their manufacturing process. Residual stresses introduced during this process have therefore been determined by finite element analysis and accounted for in the fatigue crack growth predictions. One of the equivalent crack models, accounting for the single dominant corrosion pit, provided quite accurate fatigue life predictions when compared with full scale test results.     

漂浮式潮流电站系泊系统疲劳性能预报(英文)

As a kind of clean and renewable energy,tidal current energy is becoming increasingly popular all over the world with the shortage of energy and environmental problems becoming more and more severe.A floating tidal current power station is a typical type of tidal current power transformers which can sustain the loads of wind,waves,and current,and even the extreme situation of a typhoon.Therefore,the mooring system must be reliable enough to keep the station operating normally and to survive in extreme situations.The power station examined in this paper was installed at a depth of 40 m.A 44 mm-diameter R4-RQ4 chain was chosen,with a 2 147 kN minimum break strength and 50 kN pretension.Common studless link chain was used in this paper.Based on the Miner fatigue cumulative damage rule,S-N curves of chains,and MOSES software,a highly reliable mooring system was designed and analyzed.The calculation results show that the mooring system designed is reliable throughout a 10-year period.It can completely meet the design requirements of American Petroleum institution(API).Therefore,the presented research is significant for advancing the design of this kind of power station.     

Cyclic behavior and strain energy-based fatigue damage analysis of mooring chains high strength steel

This study investigates the low-cycle fatigue behavior of mooring chains high-strength steel grade R4 under different strain amplitudes and strain ratios at room temperature. A fatigue test program has been carried out on small low cycle fatigue specimens cut from large mooring chains. The experimental results characterize the cyclic stress-strain relationship, the mean stress relaxation behavior, and the cyclic plasticity parameters of the material. Strain energy density is correlated with fatigue life through a simple power-law expression and very well represented by Basquin-Coffin-Mansion relationship. Further, a non-linear elastic-plastic material model is calibrated to the experimental stress-strain curves and used for the estimation of energy dissipation in the specimens under applied cyclic loads. The predicted fatigue life using the calibrated material parameters demonstrates a close agreement with the experimental fatigue life. Numerical simulations are carried out to analyze local plastic straining and assess crack initiation at the pit site of corroded mooring chains considering the multiaxial stress state. An energy-based approach is employed to estimate the number of cycles needed for a crack to initiate from an existing corrosion pit.     

Corrosion of working chains continuously immersed in seawater

Chains used in the offshore industry typically are exposed to continued high rates of corrosion, in part due to the working of the chain not permitting a build up of protective rusts. Herein, a procedure is described for estimating the corrosion loss of low-alloy steel chain under continued immersion corrosion conditions. The procedure is based on extensive recent investigations of the effects of water temperature, salinity, water velocity, and surface roughness on steel corrosion under field conditions. Since the working of the chain does not allow corrosion products (rust) to build up on the critical contact surfaces, erosion due to wear and abrasion can be estimated separately. Two example applications are given.     

船舶系泊问题的试验研究技术

随着码头及船舶大型化的发展,船舶系靠泊安全是港口设计及使用中需要考虑的重要问题之一。船舶及停靠的码头组成了一个极其复杂的相互作用系统,自然环境中的风、浪、流等动力条件以及不同水位、载度和船型的差异均会影响船舶系靠泊的条件,其系泊与作业期间的6个自由度运动量、系缆力和撞击力及其能量分布都是需要关心的重要因素,因此前期的试验研究十分必要。文章通过对目前船舶系靠泊试验研究技术的发展现状的阐述,分别对物理模型试验方法、仪器设备情况以及目前国内外数值模拟技术的发展情况作了相应的探讨与分析,指出船舶系靠泊试验技术的难点与待解决的问题,并结合未来研究的发展趋势,对今后的研究方向提出了展望。     

系泊船舶试验中风荷载的模拟

基于大型LNG船舶系泊物理模型试验,对2种试验室风荷载模拟实现技术（风机法与挂重法）进行分析与对 比。由风压力试验结果得出“风机法模拟风荷载结果与多个常用经验公式计算结果相差不大”的结论。风浪联合作用下的 船舶系泊模型试验结果表明:单纯风工况下2种方法测得的系缆力有所差异,但叠加波浪荷载后这种差异变小且不同位置缆绳 受力分配状况也有所改善。对上述结论及其形成原因进行与探讨,为船舶系泊物理模型试验中风荷载的合理模拟提供借鉴。     

单点系泊下船舶的运动数学模型

随着海洋开发的深入,海上作业越来越多,研究单点系泊下船舶的运动模型并分析其运动规律,能有效控制环境干扰力对船舶运动的影响。本文通过建立单点系泊下船舶的运动数学模型,利用Maya建立船舶模型,以及利用Unity3D搭建虚拟环境来实现船舶的运动仿真。仿真结果验证了所设计控制器的有效性。