• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.327-342
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• 2014

The tension leg platform (TLP) is one of the compliant structures which are generally used for deep water oil exploration. With respect to the horizontal degrees of freedom, it behaves like a floating structure moored by vertical tethers which are pretension due to the excess buoyancy of the platform, whereas with respect to the vertical degrees of freedom, it is stiff and resembles a fixed structure and is not allowed to float freely. In the current study, a numerical study for square TLP using modified Morison equation was carried out in the time domain with water particle kinematics using Airy's linear wave theory to investigate the effect of changing the tether tension force on the stiffness matrix of TLP's, the dynamic behavior of TLP's; and on the fatigue stresses in the cables. The effect was investigated for different parameters of the hydrodynamic forces such as wave periods, and wave heights. The numerical study takes into consideration the effect of coupling between various degrees of freedom. The stiffness of the TLP was derived from a combination of hydrostatic restoring forces and restoring forces due to cables. Nonlinear equation was solved using Newmark's beta integration method. Only uni-directional waves in the surge direction was considered in the analysis. It was found that for short wave periods (i.e., 10 sec.), the surge response consisted of small amplitude oscillations about a displaced position that is significantly dependent on tether tension force, wave height; whereas for longer wave periods, the surge response showed high amplitude oscillations that is significantly dependent on wave height, and that special attention should be given to tethers fatigue because of their high tensile static and dynamic stress.

• International Journal of Ocean System Engineering
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2014

The tension leg platform (TLP) is a vertically moored structure with excess buoyancy. The TLP is regarded as moored structure in horizontal plan, while inherit stiffness of fixed platform in vertical plane. In this paper, a numerical study using modified Morison equation was carried out in the time domain to investigate the influence of nonlinearities due to hydrodynamic forces and the coupling effect between surge, sway, heave, roll, pitch and yaw degrees of freedom on the dynamic behavior of TLP's. The stiffness of the TLP was derived from a combination of hydrostatic restoring forces and restoring forces due to cables and the nonlinear equations of motion were solved utilizing Newmark's beta integration scheme. The effect of tethers length and wave characteristics such as wave period and wave height on the response of TLP's was evaluated. Only uni-directional waves in the surge direction was considered in the analysis. It was found that for short wave periods (i.e. 10 sec.), the surge response consisted of small amplitude oscillations about a displaced position that is significantly dependent on tether length, wave height; whereas for longer wave periods, the surge response showed high amplitude oscillations about that is significantly dependent on tether length.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.345-360
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• 2018

Increasing demand for large-sized Floating, Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs) for oil and gas industries led to the development of novel geometric form of Buoyant Leg Storage and Regasification Platform (BLSRP). Six buoyant legs support the deck and are placed symmetric with respect to wave direction. Circular deck is connected to buoyant legs using hinged joints, which restrain transfer of rotation from the legs to deck and vice-versa. Buoyant legs are connected to seabed using taut-moored system with high initial pretension, enabling rigid body motion in vertical plane. Encountered environmental loads induce dynamic tether tension variations, which in turn affect stability of the platform. Postulated failure cases, created by placing eccentric loads at different locations resulted in dynamic tether tension variation; chaotic nature of tension variation is also observed in few cases. A detailed numerical analysis is carried out for BLSRP using Mathieu equation of stability. Increase in the magnitude of eccentric load and its position influences fatigue life of tethers significantly. Fatigue life decreases with the increase in the amplitude of tension variation in tethers. Very low fatigue life of tethers under Mathieu instability proves the severity of instability.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.22-32
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• 2013

This paper presents the conceptual design procedure for the taut-leg mooring lines of a floating-type combined renewable energy platform. The basic configuration of the platform is determined based on an understanding of floating offshore plants. The main dimensions and mass distribution are determined based on a hydrostatic calculation. To identify the motion history of the floating platform and the tension history of the mooring lines, a hydrodynamic analysis is executed using Ansys.Aqwa. This helps in the selection of the best configuration for the mooring system such as the number of mooring lines, wire types, anchored positions, etc. In addition, the fatigue life of the mooring lines can be predicted from the tension history using the rain-flow cycle counting method.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.38-44
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• 2007

The structural response characteristics of Tension leg platforms(TLPs) in waves are examined for presenting the basic data for structural design of TLPs. The numerical approach is based on a combination of the three dimensional source distribution method and the structural response analysis method, in which the superstructure of TLP is assumed to be flexible instead of rigid. Hydrodynamic and hydrostatic forces on the submerged surface of a TLP have been accurately calculated by excluding the assumption of the slender body theory. The hydrodynamic interactions among TLP members, such as columns and pontoons, and the structural damping are included in structural analysis. The mooring forces are estimated as the sum of pretension of tendons and variational tension due to longitudinal displacements. Stiffness matrices of elastic beam elements connecting nodes are formulated by ordinary method of three dimensional frame analysis. The equation of motion about the whole structure is obtained by the sum of forces and moments acting on each nodes.

• Journal of Advanced Research in Ocean Engineering
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.179-191
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• 2016

As the demand for renewable energy has increased following the worldwide agreement to act against global climate change and disaster, large-scale floating offshore wind systems have become a more viable solution. However, the cost of the whole system is still too high for practical realization. To make the cost of a floating wind system be more economical, a new concept of tension leg platform (TLP) type ocean floating wind system has been developed. To verify the performance of a 5-MW TLP type ocean floating wind power system designed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the FAST simulation developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is used. Further, 1/50 scale model tests have been carried out in the ocean engineering tank of the Research Institute of Medium and Small Shipbuilding, Korea. This paper compares the simulation and ocean engineering tank test results on motion prediction and tension assessment of the TLP anchor.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.161-172
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• 1995

A numerical procedure is described fro predicting the motion and structural responses of tension leg platforms(TLPs) in waves. The developed numerical approach is based on a combination of a three dimensional source distribution method and the dynamic response analysis method, in which the superstructure of TLPs is assumed flexible instead of the rigid body assumption used in tow-step analysis method. Both the hydrodynamic interactions among TLP members, such as columns and pontoons, and the structural whole structure are formulated using element-fixed coordinate systems which have the origin at the node of the each hull element and move parallel to a space-fixed coordinate system. Numerical results are compared with the experimental and numerical ones, which are obtained in the literature, concerning the motion and structural responses of a TLP in waves. The results of comparison confirmed the validity of the proposed approach.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.133-146
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• 1993

A numerical procedure is described for predicting the motion and structural responses of tension leg platforms (TLPs) in waves. The developed numerical approach is based on combination of a three dimensional source distribution method and the dynamic response analysis method, in which the superstructure of TLPs is assumed flexible instead of the rigid body assumption used in usual two-step analysis method, proposed by Yoshida et. al. .The hydrodynamic interactions among TLP members, such as columms and pontoons, are included in the motion and structural analyses. Numerical results are compared with the experimental and numerical ones, which are obtained in the literature, of the motion and structural responses of a TLP in waves. The results of comparison confirmed the validity of the proposed approach.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.229-237
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• 2008

For predicting the motion and structural responses of tension leg platforms(TLPs) in regular waves, a numerical scheme is introduced. The numerical approach in this paper is based on a combination of the three dimensional source distribution method and the finite element method. The hydrodynamic interactions among TLP members, such as columns and pontoons, are included in the motion and structural response analysis. The drag forces on the submerged slender members, which are proportional to the square of relative velocity, are newly included in order to estimate the responses of members with better accuracy. Comparisons with other's results verifies the works in this paper.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.203-216
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• 2016

Over recent years the offshore wind turbines are becoming more feasible solution to the energy problem, which is crucial for Egypt. In this article a three floating support structure, tension leg platform types (TLP), for 5-MW wind turbine have been considered. The dynamic behavior of a triangular, square, and pentagon TLP configurations under multi-directional regular and random waves have been investigated. The environmental loads have been considered according to the Egyptian Metrological Authority records in northern Red sea zone. The dynamic analysis were carried out using ANSYS-AQWA a finite element analysis software, FAST a wind turbine dynamic software, and MATLAB software. Investigation results give a better understanding of dynamical behavior and stability of the floating wind turbines. Results include time history, Power Spectrum densities (PSD's), and plan stability for all configurations.