Browsing by Subject "Mooring"
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Item Development of design tool for statically equivalent deepwater mooring systems(2009-05-15) Udoh, Ikpoto EnefiokVerifying the design of floating structures adequately requires both numerical simulations and model testing, a combination of which is referred to as the hybrid method of design verification. The challenge in direct scaling of moorings for model tests is the depth and spatial limitations in wave basins. It is therefore important to design and build equivalent mooring systems to ensure that the static properties (global restoring forces and global stiffness) of the prototype floater are matched by those of the model in the wave basin prior to testing. A fit-for-purpose numerical tool called STAMOORSYS is developed in this research for the design of statically equivalent deepwater mooring systems. The elastic catenary equations are derived and applied with efficient algorithm to obtain local and global static equilibrium solutions. A unique design page in STAMOORSYS is used to manually optimize the system properties in search of a match in global restoring forces and global stiffness. Up to eight mooring lines can be used in analyses and all lines have the same properties. STAMOORSYS is validated for single-line mooring analysis using LINANL and Orcaflex, and for global mooring analysis using MOORANL and Orcaflex. A statically equivalent deepwater mooring system for a representative structure that could be tested in the Offshore Technology Research Center at Texas A&M University is then designed using STAMOORSYS and the results are discussed.Item Experimental in-plane behavior of a generic scale model drag embedment anchor in Kaolinite test beds(2011-05) McCarthy, Katelyn Barbara; Gilbert, Robert B. (Robert Bruce), 1965-; Rathje, Ellen M.The trajectory and capacity are key components of the design of drag embedment anchor and drag-in vertically loaded anchors. This experimental testing program quantifies two factors that describe the anchor trajectory and capacity: the equilibrium bearing factor (Ne) and the tangential bearing factor (Ne). These factors can aid in the development of a numerical model of anchor behavior. A magnetometer device is used to track the orientation and location of the anchor during drag embedment. The results of the experimental testing program were compared with the results from a predictive model. The experimental program consisted of drag embedment tests with various testing conditions including different anchor line diameters and different initial pitch orientations. The results with the different anchor lines indicated that thinner anchor lines cause the anchor to dive deeper in the soil. The different initial pitch results indicate that regardless of the initial pitch of the anchor, the anchor rotates to a unique pitch trajectory within 2 fluke lengths.Item Experimental Measurements and Numerical Prediction of the Effect of Waves on Mooring Line Forces for a Container Ship Moored to Pile Supported and Solid Wall Docks(2013-05-03) Luai, Andres BThe conditions of a moored container ship are examined by a physical model in a wave basin and by a numerical simulation. Each condition, wave period, significant wave height and wave direction, was isolated and tested for a 50:1 scale model of a 710 ft ship and model dock. The dock construction, solid sheet wall or pile supported, was varied to add another aspect of a moored vessel. Mooring lines were modeled using 14 springs in typical mooring line arrangement to simulate the elastic properties. Loads experienced on mooring lines and fenders during different wave conditions were recorded using in line force transducers. Each wave property increased the loads on the mooring lines and fenders as it intensified, except in few conditions. The loads throughout the ship also decreased for the tests run with a pile constructed dock. The bow line received the greatest load and the greatest range of loads of all the lines. The greatest average load was 175 kips experienced by the bow line during a 20 second period, 6 feet wave coming perpendicular to the ship. The results of the solid wall dock setup were compared to the results from the numerical simulation data, aNySIM. Numerical results showed similar trends as the experimental but at a lower magnitude, with a maximum percent difference of 36%.Item Plastic Limit Analysis of Offshore Foundation and Anchor(2010-10-12) Chi, Chao-MingThis study presents the applications of plastic limit analysis to offshore foundations and anchors, including the drag embedment anchors (DEAs) for mobile offshore drilling units (MODU?s) and spudcan foundations for jack-up platforms. In deep waters, drag embedment anchors are an attractive option for mooring of semisubmersible platforms due to low installation cost and high holding capacity; on the other hand, jack-up platforms are more stable than semisubmersible platforms but only can be placed in shallow waters. The analyses of anchor capacities are developed for an idealized anchor comprising a rectangular fluke, a cylindrical shank, and a metal chain connected to the shank at the padeye. The anchor trajectory prediction during drag embedment is also developed by considering anchor behavior in conjunction with the mechanics of the anchor line. The results of simulations show that anchors approach at equilibrium condition rapidly during the embedment and both the normalized holding capacity and the anchor line uplift angle remain constants in this stage. Besides the geometry of the fluke, the properties of the shank and soil are also crucial factors in the anchor-soil interaction behavior. Partial failure of mooring systems for floating structures will subject drag anchors to loads having an appreciable component outside of the intended plane of loading. Partial failure of mooring systems during hurricanes in recent years have generated an interest in understanding drag anchor performance under these conditions. The analysis presents the simulations of three dimensional trajectories of an anchor system subjected to an out-of-plane load component. For the conditions simulated in the example analyses, the anchor experienced a modest amount of continued embedment following partial failure of the mooring system; however, the ultimate embedment and capacity of the anchor is much less than what would have developed if the anchor had continued in its original trajectory within the plane of intended loading. The analyses of the spudcan foundation of jack-up units include preloading, bearing capacity, and the displacement assessment. When the contribution of the soil moment resistance is considered, a three-stage assessment procedure is recommended: superposing environmental forces on the plot of yield surface, determining the value of yield function corresponding to the external forces, and computing the factor of safety of the spudcan. The results of the assessment may be ambiguous while the different yield functions are employed to analyze the spudcan in soft clay.Item Reliability-based Design of Offshore Mooring Systems(2013-02-05) Mousavi, Mir EmadThis study proposes new methods for the reliability-based design of structural systems, with emphasis on offshore mooring systems. After a brief introduction to the mooring systems, two main objectives are discussed in this dissertation. The first objective is the calculation of the probability of failure of a structural system, which is an important input for a reliability-based design or any quantitative risk assessment. Two different methods are proposed for calculation of the probability of failure: a method based on the Monte Carlo simulations and a method based on the basic rules of probability, which is called the Progressive Reliability Method (PRM). Both methods are flexible to the definition of system failure. For example, the probability of a serviceability or ultimate-strength failure can be assessed using any of the two methods. It is shown that the two methods produce similar results, but PRM is preferred because it is exact and usually faster to implement. The second main objective in this dissertation is to develop a method for the optimization of the design of a structural system, given a target probability of failure. In this method, using the structural analysis of a preliminary design, the ratio of the optimal to the preliminary mean capacity of each component, which is called the Optimality Factor, is determined. Two design strategies are considered. First, an optimal design is intended to achieve the maximum system integrity. System integrity is defined as the balanced contribution of system components to its reliability. To quantify the system integrity, the Integrity Index is defined, and its calculation for various systems is discussed. Second, a designated failure scenario is considered, where some components serve as a fuse to protect some other components. This design strategy is especially applicable to mooring systems with drag anchor foundations because normally, if a drag anchor is pulled out from the seabed, it can cause significant damages to nearby subsea facilities. Using the rules of probability, a method is then developed to calculate the optimality factor of each component.