Verifying 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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-3215 |
| Date | 15 May 2009 |
| Creators | Udoh, Ikpoto Enefiok |
| Contributors | Mercier, Richard |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Thesis, text |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf, born digital |
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