Lifting off simulation of an offshore supply vessel considering ocean environmental loads and lifting off velocity

Abstract

An OSV (Offshore Support Vessel) is being used to install a structure which is laid on its deck or an adjacent transport barge by lifting off the structure with its own crane, lifting in the air, crossing splash zone, deeply submerging, and lastly landing it. There are some major considerations during these operations. Especially, when lifting off the structure, if operating conditions such as ocean environmental loads and lifting off velocity are not suitable, the collision can be occurred due to the relative motion between the structure and the OSV or the transport barge. To solve this problem, this study performs the physics-based simulation of the lifting off step while the OSV installs the structure. The simulation includes the calculation of dynamic responses of the OSV and the structure, including the collision detection between the transport barge and the structure. To check the applicability of the physics-based simulation, it is applied to a problem of the lifting off step by varying the ocean environmental loads and the lifting off velocity. As a result, it is confirmed that the operability of the lifting off step are affected by the conditions.