• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.580-588
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• 2010

OPB(out-of-plane bending)-induced failure of mooring chain was firstly addressed by CALM (catenary anchor leg mooring)-type offloading buoy, located approximately one mile away from the bow of the Girassol FPSO which was installed offshore area of Angola in September 2001. This study deals with verifying the load transfer mechanism between the first free chain link and connected two chain links inside the chain hawse. OPB moment to angle variation relationships are proposed by extensive parametric study where the used design variables are static friction coefficients, proof test loads, nominal tension forces, chain link diameters, chain link grades and chain link types. The stress ranges due to OPB moments are obtained using nonlinear FEAs (finite element analyses). Final stress ranges are derived considering ones from IPT (in-plane tension) forces. Also a formula for OPB fatigue assessment is briefly introduced.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.178-201
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• 2019

The appropriate design of a mooring system to maintain the position of an offshore structure in deep sea under various environmental loads is important. Fatigue design of the mooring line considering OPB/IPB(out-of-plane bending/in-plane bending) became an essential factor after the incident of premature fatigue failure of the mooring chain due to OPB/IPB in the Girassol region in West Africa. In this study, mooring line fatigue analysis was performed considering the OPB/IPB of a spread moored FPSO in deep sea. The tension of the mooring line was derived by hydrodynamic analysis using the de-coupled analysis method. The floater motion time histories were calculated under the assumption that the mooring line behaves in quasi-static manner. Additional time domain analysis was carried out by prescribing the obtained motions on top of the selected critical mooring line, which was determined based on spectral fatigue analysis. In addition, nonlinear finite element analysis was performed considering the material nonlinearities, and both the interlink stiffness and stress concentration factors were derived. The fatigue damage to the chain surface was estimated by combining both the hydrodynamic and stress analysis results.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.299-307
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• 2017

The design of the mooring line to maintain the position of an offshore structure in rough marine environments is recognized as a very important consideration. Conventional fatigue evaluation of a mooring line was performed by considering the tensile force acting on the mooring line, but the mooring line broke after 238 days in the girassol area even though the expected fatigue life was expected to be longer. The causes of this event are known to be due to OPB/IPB (out-of-plane bending/in-plane bending) caused by chain link friction due to the excessive tensile strength of the mooring line. In this study, three models with different boundary conditions were proposed for fatigue analysis of a mooring line considering OPB/IPB. Interlink stiffness was calculated by nonlinear structure analysis and a stress concentration factor was derived. In addition, the sensitivity of interlink stiffness according to the magnitude of tensile force, large deformation effect, and coefficient of friction was analyzed, and the effect of critical elastic slip and bending moment calculation position on interlink stiffness was confirmed.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.297-309
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• 2018

After an accident involving mooring link failures in an offloading buoy, verification of the fatigue safety in terms of the out-of-plane bending (OPB) and in-plane bending (IPB) moments has become a key engineering item in the design of various floating offshore units. The mooring links for an 8 MW floating offshore wind turbine were selected for this study. To identify the OPB stiffness (OPB moment versus interlink angle), a numerical simulation model, called the 3-link model, is usually composed of three successive chain links closest to the fairlead or chain hawse. This paper introduces two numerical simulation techniques for the 3-link analyses. The conventional and advanced approaches are both based on the prescribed rotation approach (PRA) and direct tension approach (DTA). Comparisons of the nominal stress distributions, OPB stiffnesses, hotspot stress curves, and stress concentration curves are presented. The multiple link analyses used to identify the tension angle versus interlink angle require the OPB stiffness data from the 3-link analyses. A convergence study was conducted to determine the minimum number of links for a multi-link analysis. It was proven that 10 links were sufficient for the multi-link analysis. The tension angle versus interlink angle relations are presented based on multi-link analyses with 10 links. It was found that the subsequent results varied significantly according to the 3-link analysis techniques.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.171-210
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• 2024

This paper focuses on the rigorous and holistic fatigue analysis of mooring chains for a deep draft semi-submersible platform in the challenging environment of the central Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Known for severe hurricanes and strong loop/eddy currents, this region significantly impacts offshore structures and their mooring systems, necessitating robust designs capable of withstanding extreme wind, wave and current conditions. Wave scatter and current bin diagrams are utilized to assess the probabilistic distribution of waves and currents, crucial for calculating mooring chain fatigue. The study evaluates the effects of Vortex Induced Motion (VIM), Out-of-Plane-Bending (OPB), and In-Plane-Bending (IPB) on mooring fatigue, alongside extreme single events such as 100-year hurricanes and loop/eddy currents including ramp-up and ramp-down phases, to ensure resilient mooring design. A detailed case study of a deep draft semi-submersible platform with 16 semi-taut moorings in 2,500 meters of water depth in the central GoM provides insights into the relative contributions of wave scatter diagram, VIMs from current bin diagram, the combined stresses of OPB/IPB/TT and extreme single events. By comparing these factors, the study aims to enhance understanding and optimize mooring system design for safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in offshore operations within the central GoM. The paper addresses a research gap by proposing a holistic approach that integrates findings from various contributions to advance current practices in mooring design. It presents a comprehensive framework for fatigue analysis and design optimization of mooring systems in the central GoM, emphasizing the critical importance of considering environmental conditions, OPB/IPB moments, and extreme single events to ensure the safety and reliability of mooring systems for offshore platforms.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.237-248
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• 2016

As OPB and IPB moment-induced fatigue damage on mooring chain links were reported for a offloading buoy, verification of OPB and IPB fatigue has been a key engineering item in offshore structure mooring design. Mathematical and physical features of the conventional approach which was mainly explained in BV guideline are reviewed and disadvantages of the conventional approach are addressed in terms of stress proportionality and nonlinearity of OPB and IPB moments. In order to eradicate these disadvantages, a novel approach is newly proposed which is able to dispel apprehension on stress proportionality and is not dependent of nonlinearities of OPB and IPB moments. Significant differences between two approaches are suggested by comparing relations of OPB moment versus OPB interlink angle and IPB moment versus IPB interlink angle. For periodic OPB tension angle processes having three different OPB angle ranges with a simple irregular tension process, fatigue damage calculation reveals that OPB moment-induced fatigue damage has dominant portion to total fatigue damage. Comparative studies between two approaches also show that the conventional approach based on BV guideline predicts fatigue damage far conservatively since it assume unrealistic high stress concentration factor for tension load. Meanwhile IPB moment-induced fatigue damage is negligible compared to tension-induced fatigue damage.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.848-857
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• 2021

This paper proposes an efficient approach based on a machine learning technique to predict the local stresses on mooring chain links. Three-link and multi-link finite element analyses were conducted for a target chain link of D107 with steel grade R4; 24,000 and 8000 analyses were performed, respectively. Two serial Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models based on a deep multi-layer perceptron technique were developed. The first ANN model corresponds to multi-link analyses, where the input neurons were the tension force and angle and the output neurons were the interlink angles. The second ANN model corresponds to the three-link analyses with the input neurons of the tension force, interlink angle, and the local stress positions, and the output neurons of the local stress. The predicted local stresses for the untrained cases were reliable compared to the numerical simulation results.