• Journal of Wind Energy
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.91-102
• /
• 2024

Rapid progress is being made in foundational technology research and engineering for the construction of floating offshore wind farms. There is active development of technology for detachable mooring systems, which have strengths in addressing maintenance issues that arise in floating offshore wind farms and enhance their economic viability. Conventional detachable mooring systems use Kenter links inserted into the middle of mooring chains, which require excessive time for retrieval by Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels during detachment operations. Moreover, these operations pose risks of link damage and accidents. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a new concept of detachable mooring systems. The proposed detachable mooring system in this study simultaneously integrates a fairlead chain stoppers (FCS) and submersible mooring pulleys (SMP), which enables all operations to be conducted on the AHTS vessel without underwater tasks. This study detailed the design and safety evaluation of the SMP, a core component of the detachable mooring system, based on the minimum breaking load (MBL) of selected mooring lines according to the capacity of the floating platform. It referenced international codes (AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings D5, Pin-Connected Members) for design verification and performed finite element analysis to evaluate the strength of major components in installation and operation scenarios. Additionally, procedures and techniques for evaluating the structural strength of components under uncertain boundary conditions were proposed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.29 no.7
• /
• pp.980-991
• /
• 2023

To prevent accidents near the quay caused by a ship, ports are generally designed and constructed through navigation and berthing safety assessment. However, unpredictable accidents such as ship collisions with the quay or personal accidents caused by ropes still occur sometimes during the ship berthing or mooring process. Automatic mooring systems, which are equipped with an attachment mechanism composed of robotic manipulators and vacuum pads, are designed for rapid and safe mooring of ships. This paper deals with a displacement and velocity measurement system for the automatic mooring device, which is essential for the position and speed control of the vacuum pads. To design a suitable system for an automatic mooring device, we first analyze the sensor's performance and outdoor environmental characteristics. Based on the analysis results, we describe the configuration and design methods of a displacement and velocity measurement system for application in outdoor environments. Additionally, several algorithms for detecting the sensor's state and estimating a ship's velocity are developed. The proposed method is verified through some experiments for displacement and speed measurement targeted at a moving object with constant speed.

• Journal of Wind Energy
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.5-12
• /
• 2023

In this study, a structural and fatigue strength evaluation of the Fairlead Chain Stopper (FCS) was performed as a part of the development of a disconnectable mooring system to be applied to 10MW floating offshore wind power generation systems. To estimate the load acting on the FCS, a 10 MW semi-submersible floater was designed using the 10 MW wind turbine developed by Technical University of Denmark(DTU). The minimum breaking load (MBL) of the grade R5 and 147mm mooring chain was applied for the FCS strength analysis. The fatigue load was obtained from the coupled analysis results conducted by a collaborating research institute. The structural and fatigue safety of FCS were evaluated in accordance with DNV codes. From the evaluation results, it was confirmed that the FCS satisfies the structural and fatigue safety requirements.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.273-281
• /
• 2023

Recently, offshore structures for eco-friendly energy, such as wind and solar power, have been developed to address the problem of insufficient land space; in the case of energy generation, they are designed on a considerable scale. Therefore, the scalability of offshore structures is crucial. The Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) developed multi-linked floating offshore structures composed of floating bodies and connection beams for floating photovoltaic systems. Large-scale floating photovoltaic systems are mainly designed in a manner that expands through the connection between modules and demonstrates a difference in structural response with connection conditions. A fluid-structure coupled analysis was performed for the multi-linked floating offshore structures. First, the wave load acting on the multi-linked offshore floating structures was calculated through wave load analysis for various wave load conditions. The response amplitude operators (RAOs) for the motions and structural response of the unit structure were calculated by performing finite element analysis. The effects of connection conditions were analyzed through comparative studies of RAOs and the response's maximum magnitude and occurrence location. Hence, comparing the cases of a hinge connection affecting heave and pitch motions and a fixed connection, the maximum bending stress of the structure decreased by approximately 2.5 times, while the mooring tension increased by approximately 20%, confirmed to be the largest change in bending stress and mooring tension compared to fixed connection. Therefore, the change in structural response according to connection condition makes it possible to design a higher structural safety of the structural member through the hinge connection in the construction of a large-scale multi-linked floating offshore structure for large-scale photovoltaic systems in which some unit structures are connected. However, considering the tension of the mooring line increases, a safety evaluation of the mooring line must be performed.

• International journal of steel structures
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.1191-1199
• /
• 2018

Concepts of submerged floating tunnels (SFTs) for land connection have been continuously suggested and developed by several researchers and institutes. To maintain their predefined positions under various dynamic environmental loading conditions, the submerged floating tunnels should be effectively moored by reasonable mooring systems. With rational mooring systems, the design of SFTs should be confirmed to satisfy the structural safety, fatigue, and operability design criteria related to tunnel motion, internal forces, structural stresses, and the fatigue life of the main structural members. This paper presents a feasibility study of a submerged floating tunnel moored by an inclined tendon system. The basic structural concept was developed based on the concept of conventional cable-stayed bridges to minimize the seabed excavation, penetration, and anchoring work by applying tower-inclined tendon systems instead of conventional tendons with individual seabed anchors. To evaluate the structural performance of the new type of SFT, a hydrodynamic analysis was performed in the time domain using the commercial nonlinear finite element code ABAQUS-AQUA. For the main dynamic environmental loading condition, an irregular wave load was examined. A JONSWAP wave spectrum was used to generate a time-series wave-induced hydrodynamic load considering the specific significant wave height and peak period for predetermined wave conditions. By performing a time-domain hydrodynamic analysis on the submerged floating structure under irregular waves, the motional characteristics, structural stresses, and fatigue damage of the floating tunnel and mooring members were analyzed to evaluate the structural safety and fatigue performance. According to the analytical study, the suggested conceptual model for SFTs shows very good hydrodynamic structural performance. It can be concluded that the concept can be considered as a reasonable structural type of SFT.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.184-191
• /
• 2011

Preliminary design of a mooring system for a floating wave energy converter(WEC) is performed. A mooring line is designed to consist of two parts; the one is a chain in heavy weight laid on the seabed and linked to an anchor on the seabed and the other is a light weight chain suspended at a floater. A high weight chain laid on the seabed can contribute to mitigate dynamic energy propagated from top oscillation and decrease anchor weight and volume. Through a low weight chain suspended between a floater and seabed the WEC's function to produce energy from wave can be affected in minimum by the motion of a chain. The static and dynamic analyses for the designed mooring system were carried out to evaluate WEC system's safety. The present study shows that the designed gravity anchor moves horizontally due to the tension exerted on the anchor in the severe ocean environmental condition. The present mooring system should be redesigned to satisfy the safety requirements. The present study will be useful to predict the safety of the mooring system under ocean environment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.99-110
• /
• 2017

This paper presents the study of the bending behavior of mooring chain links for keeping the position of the offshore floating structures. In general, chain links have been thought as the axial members due to the fundamental boundary condition. But, the flexural stiffness can be induced to the contact surface between chain links when friction occurs at the surface of the chain links due to high tensile force. Especially, the mooring chains for offshore floating platforms are highly tensioned. If the floater suffers rotational motion and the mooring chain links are highly tensioned, the rotation between contact links, induced by the floater rotation, generates the bending moment and relevant stresses due to the unexpected bending stiffness. In 2005, the mooring chain links for the Girassol Buoy Platform were failed after just 5 months after facility installation, and the accident investigation research concluded the chain failure was mainly caused by the fatigue due to the unexpected bending stress fluctuation. This study investigates the pattern of the induced bending stiffness and stresses of the highly tensioned chain links by nonlinear finite element analysis.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.48-57
• /
• 2012

This paper deals with numerical analyses in the context of estimations of hydrodynamic motions and dynamic loads for a floating type offshore platform using some exclusive simulation code such as code for the simulation of a floating type of offshore crane based on multi-body dynamics, along with the commercial code AQWA. Verifications of numerical models are carried out by comparing the RAO results from the simulation code. In the verification analyses, hydrodynamic motions are examined in the frequency domain for the floating type offshore platform according to the mooring lines. Both the hydrodynamic motions and dynamic loads are estimated for floating type offshore platforms equipped with the catenary type and taut mooring lines. A review and comparison are carried out for the numerically estimated results. The structural safety of the connection parts in an offshore structure such as a floating type offshore platform is one of the most important design criteria in view of fatigue life. The dynamic loads in the connecting area between a floating type offshore platform and its mooring lines are estimated in detail according to variations in the mechanical properties of the mooring lines. The dynamic tension load on the mooring lines is also estimated.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.139-145
• /
• 2017

Recently, gusts, typhoon and tsunamis have been occurring more frequently around the world. In such an emergency situation, a moored vessel can be used to predict and analyze other vessel behavior, but if the mooring system is destroyed, marine casualties can occur. Therefore, it is necessary to determine quantitatively whether a vessel should be kept in the harbour or evacuate. In this study, moored ship safety in an exclusive wharf according to swell effects on motion and mooring load have been investigated using numerical simulations. The maximum tension exerted on mooring lines exceeded the Safety Working Load for intervals 12 and 15 seconds. The maximum bollard force also exceeded 35 tons (allowable force) in all evaluation cases. The surge motion criteria result for safe working conditions exceeded 3 meters more than the wave period 12 seconds with a wind speed of 25 knots. As a result, a risk rating matrix (risk category- very high risk, high risk and moderate risk) was developed with reference to major external forces such as wind force, wave height and wave periods to provide criteria for determining the control of capabilities of mooring systems to prevent accidents.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.344-352
• /
• 2019

A coupled analysis was performed between the riser to develop oil and gas in ultra-deepwater and the moored floating body. In general, the safety of the riser is conservatively evaluated by considering the maximum offset excluding the coupled analysis with the floating body. In this study, the safety of the riser was analyzed by considering the coupled motion analysis of the moored floating body. The riser is considered steel lazy wave riser (SLWR) applied in the deep sea, and the floating body is determined to FPSO. The methodology was presented on coupled and uncoupled analysis. The coupled effects were analyzed according to the incident wave headings in intact and damaged conditions of mooring lines. The tension of mooring lines, the motion of the floating body, and riser responses were analyzed according to the loading conditions.