Numerical modeling of nonstationary hydrodynamic forces and induced motions of a coupled offshore floating installation system

Abstract

Offshore installations always involve multi-body systems in which the hydrodynamic and mechanical interactions are complicated for the properties keep changing under certain operation procedures. Float-over deck (FOD) installation is a typical example, where the draft of barge continuously varies during the load transfer operation. Numerical analysis of such continuous operation is crucial to identify the extreme responses, but it's difficult to model the nonstationary properties involved in the hydrodynamic loads and motions and contact loads of the system. In the study, a numerical modeling methodology is developed to calculate these nonstationary hydrodynamic forces and induced responses, considering an active update of the hydrodynamic properties with the time varying body boundary conditions. The effects of time varying body boundary conditions on hydrodynamic forces and induced nonstationary motions and contact loads of a FOD installation system is studied. The results indicate that the dynamic analysis of the continuous load transfer operation could be effectively carried out with one update of hydrodynamic forces at the end of the operation. The barge roll motions and its natural period are the most affected. The proposed method could be used in intensive simulation of offshore multi-body systems with obvious draft variation during operations.