新型深海系泊系统及数值分析技术

随着海洋油气资源开发逐渐向深海转移,传统的悬链式系泊系统在技术和经济上遇到难以逾越的障碍。作为一种新型的适用于深水和超深水环境的系泊系统,绷紧索系泊系统面临广阔的应用前景。文章对这种新型系泊系统的发展情况进行了介绍,基于有限元数值分析技术,对系泊系统的两个关键特性,即系缆的绷紧-松弛特性以及纤维系缆的动刚度特性进行了分析和处理,通过算例考察了深海平台运动引起的系缆力响应。     

聚酯系缆损伤对绷紧式系泊系统动力响应影响的数值分析

由于聚酯缆绳具备优异的力学性能,促使以其为主体系缆的绷紧式系泊系统得以广泛应用和发展。但聚酯系缆具有复杂的黏弹性和黏塑性,且由于在安装和使用过程中可能产生不同程度的损伤,使得聚酯系缆的动刚度特性发生演变,从而对系泊系统的动力响应产生直接影响。以一系泊于1 020 m水深的Spar平台为例,运用ABAQUS软件建立了由聚酯缆绳组成的系泊系统有限元模型,并利用ABAQUS子程序将损伤缆绳动刚度经验公式进行导入计算,以更好地反映系缆真实的动刚度变化。基于该有限元模型,计算了在相同水流、波浪工况下,不同损伤度、不同损伤系缆的系缆张力历程和平台的横荡、纵荡位移响应,分析了不同损伤度、不同损伤系缆对系缆张力及平台位移的影响。这些成果对把握绷紧式系泊系统在聚酯系缆有损伤情况下的非线性动力响应及其安全应用具有重要的参考价值。     

法向承力锚极限抗拔力特性

法向承力锚是一种新型的适用于深海工程的系泊基础,其极限抗拔力是锚在工程应用中的关键指标。尝试用两种不同的方法评估法向承力锚的极限抗拔力,其一是基于塑性上限分析理论;其二是运用非线性有限元数值方法。与已有的经验公式相比,所建立的计算模型不仅可考虑海床土性质,还能反映锚板定位(嵌入深度及角度)以及系缆力角度对锚极限抗拔力的影响。在与已有评估方法进行比较的基础上,还特别对锚板的嵌入深度、角度以及系缆力角度变化对极限抗拔力的影响规律进行了分析,对三种方法的适用性进行了评述。     

绷紧式系泊缆冲击张力特性研究

采用集中质量法研究了绷紧式系泊系统中系缆由于松弛-张紧过程产生的冲击张力。建立系泊缆绳离散的集中质量模型,对其独立单元进行受力分析并建立了单元的运动方程。给定缆绳上端点简谐激励,通过Ansys中的Aqwa模块,分析了缆绳的运动响应;针对缆绳运动响应过程中的三种状态进行了模拟计算,探讨了冲击张力产生的条件;研究了缆绳初始预张力、上端点激励幅值和频率、拖曳力系数、弹性模量以及单位长度质量对动态张力的影响。研究结果表明:这些影响因素不仅会影响缆绳动态张力的大小,也会对缆绳中的冲击张力产生一定的影响。     

深海系泊系统动力特性研究进展

系泊系统设计是深海平台开发的关键问题之一。由于深海环境载荷和系泊材料物理特性及系缆构型影响,系泊系统分析涉及流固耦合非线性、非线性流体动力及整个系泊系统的运动稳定性。总结深海系泊系统关键理论和技术研究的前沿问题,包括系泊系统系缆建模、系泊系统耦合动力分析的理论和方法等,重点分析系泊系统非线性动力学问题的研究进展,并且提出了深海系泊系统需要深入研究的若干动力学问题。     

超深水混合缆绷紧式系泊系统非线性循环动力分析

由于高强聚乙烯(HMPE)和聚酯(polyester)缆绳具有各自独特的材料性能,因此提出在超深水绷紧式系泊系统中,采用高强聚乙烯和聚酯组成的混合缆作为系缆。以一系泊在超深水处的FPSO为例,系缆分别采用聚酯缆绳、高强聚乙烯缆绳以及混合缆。比较了循环载荷作用下,不同绷紧式系泊系统的动力响应。分析表明,在超深水中采用混合缆能够设计出合宜刚度的系泊系统,使系泊系统既有保持海洋浮式结构物在平衡位置的能力,又有风暴载荷下良好的生存能力。较理想的混合缆构型是:在靠近海底部分,采用高强聚乙烯缆绳;而在靠近海面部分,采用聚酯缆绳。这些认识对混合缆应用于超深水绷紧式系泊系统具有重要的参考价值。     

深水系泊新型拖曳锚研发关键技术

作为深海工程应用中一种新型的拖曳嵌入式系泊基础,法向承力锚与目前新型的深水绷紧索系泊方式结合,在深水条件下的优势非常明显.综合比较了新型拖曳锚、吸力锚以及桩锚在施工、性能以及经济性等多方面的特点.提出了开展新型拖曳锚研发的若干关键技术.在对国外的实验研究现状进行综合评述的基础上,重点介绍了在构建新型拖曳锚模型实验平台方面取得的成果,涉及模型水槽、拖曳与回收系统、测量系统、模型锚板设计以及拖曳-系泊转换机构等关键技术.     

深海平台系缆形状和张力分析

考虑海底地形的变化、系缆的拉伸形变及海流力等因素,研究了深海平台系缆形状和张力分析方法采用集中质量法,得到系缆方程组,采用牛顿法求解该非线性系缆方程组,建立系缆形状和张力的计算方法。计算了平坦海底和海底地形凹凸变化时水深1 018 m情况下的系缆形状、系泊张力和浮体平衡位置。计算结果表明,海底地形对于深海系泊系统张力影响较大,而计算系缆形状和张力、系泊浮体的运动时,需要考虑海底地形的影响。     

法向承力锚拖曳安装过程的整体模拟

法向承力锚(Vertically Loaded Plate Anchor,VLA)是一种适用于深水的新型系泊基础,它的拖曳安装过程直接决定了其系泊定位的精度和锚体的最终承载能力。综合考虑VLA锚体、锚泊线和上部船体的运动,建立了一种新的准静力整体分析模型。模型包括不断贯入海床的锚体、锚泊线(土中反悬链段和水中悬链段)和安装船体三部分,针对确定的锚泊线长度,安装船运动张紧锚泊线进行安装的过程,计算了此过程中锚体的运动轨迹、锚泊线形态和作用在船体上的锚泊线张力矢量的变化,重点分析了不同抛链长度和海床土体的参数对安装过程控制的影响,发现链长与水深之比达到5时,接近极限贯入深度。     

损伤聚酯纤维系缆动刚度特性实验研究

系泊系统设计和分析是深海油气开发平台的关键问题,对于采用合成纤维系缆的绷紧式系泊系统,由于材料属性和安装、使用等因素可能造成缆绳不同程度的损伤,因此有必要研究损伤缆在复杂海况下的非线性动力特性尤其是动刚度演变规律。采用合成纤维系缆循环加载实验系统,对6 mm和8 mm的聚酯(polyester)缆绳试样进行实验研究。引入损伤度指标衡量缆绳的损伤程度,通过剪切股纱减小缆绳的有效承载面积以制造损伤,分别考察了损伤度、平均载荷、应变幅值和循环周次对缆绳动刚度的影响。通过量纲分析得到损伤缆动刚度相似准则,在此基础上分析实验数据获得考虑各主要影响因素的动刚度演变经验公式。这些工作为今后更为复杂的全尺寸损伤缆绳的动刚度研究奠定了基础。     

Numerical implementation of the installation/mooring line and application to analyzing comprehensive anchor behaviors

With the application of innovative anchor concepts and advanced technologies in deepwater moorings, anchor behaviors in the seabed are becoming more complicated and pose a great challenge to the analytical methods. In the present work, a large deformation finite element (FE) analysis employing the coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian technique is performed to simulate the installation/mooring line, and then is applied to analyzing comprehensive anchor behaviors in the seabed. By connecting cylindrical units with each other using connector elements, the installation/mooring line is constructed. With the constructed installation/mooring line, FE simulations are carried out to investigate comprehensive anchor behaviors in the seabed, including long-distance penetration of drag anchors, keying of suction embedded plate anchors and non-catastrophic behavior of gravity-installed anchors. Through comparative studies, the accuracy of the proposed method is well examined. A parametric study is also undertaken to quantify the effects of the frictional coefficient, initial embedment depth, and soil weight on the profile of the embedded anchor line and the shackle load. The present work demonstrates that the proposed FE model, which incorporates the installation/mooring line and the anchor, is effective in analyzing the comprehensive anchor behaviors in the seabed.     

Analytical study on comprehensive behaviors of drag anchors in the seabed

Attributed to good performance in the seabed, drag anchors are adopted as an effective anchoring solution in deepwater mooring systems. This type of anchors is drag installed, companying with comprehensive behaviors during movement of the anchor in the seabed, which make the anchor trajectory and therefore the final embedment position difficult to be predicted. On the basis of the mechanical model and analytical procedure, an analytical method is proposed for exploring comprehensive behaviors of drag anchors in both clay and sand. The anchor behaviors are classified as keying, pulling out and diving. The bearing capacity and the trajectory of the anchor can be predicted through the combination of the three behaviors. By comparing analytical predictions with experimental data and other predictions, the efficiency and veracity of the theoretical model are validated. A parametric study is also performed to investigate the effects of different parameters, and to further understand the comprehensive anchor behaviors in the seabed. The present work provides an efficient theoretical tool for analyzing comprehensive behaviors of drag anchors in either clayey or sandy seabed.     

An Analytical Method for Positioning Drag Anchors in Seabed Soils

Positioning drag anchors in seabed soils are strongly influenced not only by the properties of the anchor and soil,but also by the characteristics of the installation line.The investigation on the previous prediction methods related to anchor positioning demonstrates that the prediction of the anchor position during dragging has inevitably introduced some key and unsubstantiated hypotheses and the applicability of these methods is limited.In the present study,the interactional system between the drag anchor and installation line is firstly introduced for the analysis of anchor positioning.Based on the two mechanical models for embedded lines and drag anchors,the positioning equations for drag anchors have been derived both for cohesive and noncohesive soils.Since the drag angle at the shackle is the most important parameter in the positioning equations,a novel analytical method that can predict both the variation and the exact value of the drag angle at the shackle is proposed.The analytical method for positioning drag anchors which combines the interactional system between the drag anchor and the installation line has provided a reasonable theoretic approach to investigate the anchor behaviors in soils.By comparing with the model flume experiments,the sensitivity,effectiveness and veracity of the positioning method are well verified.     

Influence of Kinematic Analysis Parameters of Drag Anchor Trajectory Prediction Using Yield Envelope Method

Drag anchor is widely applied in offshore engineering for offshore mooring systems. The prediction of the invisible trajectory during its drag-in installation is challenging for anchor design in determining the anchor final position for ensuring sufficient holding capacity. The yield envelope method based on deep anchor failure for kinematic analysis was proposed as a promising trajectory prediction method for drag anchor. However, there is a lack of analysis on the effects of the parameters applied in the kinematic analysis. The current work studies the effects of the yield envelope parameters, anchor line bearing capacity factor and the anchor/soil interface friction. It is found that the accuracy of the yield envelope parameters has large impact on the prediction results based on deep yield envelopes.Analyses of cases with smooth fluke predict deeper embedment depth than that from analyses of cases with rough fluke. The decrease of the capacity factor results in the increase of the anchor embedment depth, the anchor line load,the anchor chain angle and the stable value of the normalized horizontal load component for the same drag length,while the stable value of the normalized vertical load component decreases when the capacity factor decreases. This illustrates the importance in applying reasonable parameters and improving the method for more reliable prediction of the anchor trajectory.     

Reverse catenary equation of the embedded installation line and application to the kinematic model for drag anchors

The penetration behavior and trajectory of the drag anchor in seabed soils are not only determined by properties of the anchor and soil, but also controlled by the installation line especially the segment embedded in the soil. Correctly understanding and describing reverse catenary properties of the embedded line are crucial for improving the drag embedment performance, precisely predicting the anchor trajectory, and solving the positioning problem in offshore applications. The investigation on reverse catenary problems demonstrates that, the reverse catenary shape of the embedded line has to be solved almost through numerical incremental methods. In the present study, based on the mechanical model for the embedded line, the relationship between the tension and geometry of the embedded line, and the interactional equation between the anchor and embedded line are derived. By introducing the concept of the initial embedment depth of the installation line, the reverse catenary equation and the expression for calculating the length of the embedded line are obtained for soils with a linear strength, and the position of the embedment point can be reasonably solved through the derived reverse catenary equation. The reverse catenary equation is then introduced into the kinematic model for drag anchors, which combines the drag anchor, the installation line and the movement of the anchor handling vessel being an interactional system. More information related to the drag embedment problem can be definitely gained through the present work, including not only the anchor behaviors such as the trajectory, penetration direction and ultimate embedment depth, but also the properties of the installation line for both the embedded and horizontal segments. By comparing with drum centrifuge tests and model flume experiments, the efficiency of the theoretical method for predicting the anchor trajectory is well verified.     

Experimental investigation of the keying process of OMNI-Max anchor

ABSTRACT

The OMNI-Max anchors are newly developed dynamically installed anchors for deep water mooring systems. After installation, the anchor is keyed to a new orientation and position by tensing the attached mooring chain, which is known as the “keying process”. This study conducted 1g model tests to study the trajectories and capacity developments of OMNI-Max anchors in homogeneous and lightly overconsolidated (LOC) clays. A testing arrangement was designed to simulate the anchor keying process with a constant pullout angle at the mudline. A half model anchor which could move against the box glass was used to determine the anchor trajectory in the soil. The effects of padeye offset angle, uplift angle at the mudline, anchor fluke thickness, anchor initial embedment depth, and soil strength on the anchor trajectory and capacity were systematically investigated. Moreover, the critical uplift angle at the padeye and the anchor critical initial embedment depth were discussed. The results indicate that the anchor can dive both in homogeneous and LOC clays under certain conditions. A padeye offset angle of 24–30° is recommended for the OMNI-Max anchor to maintain high capacity and diving trend simultaneously. Besides, the anchor diving trend can be improved with small uplift angles at the mudline and with thick anchor flukes. A critical initial embedment depth of 1.3 times the anchor length is recommended to preclude the anchor from being pulled out.     

Numerical study of effect of fluke inclination on behavior of drag anchor in clay with linearly increasing shear strength under unidirectional and combined loading

Drag anchor is a widely used anchor type in offshore engineering for the mooring system. The prediction of the anchor trajectory installation and the final position is important for anchor selection in design. The existing method using yield envelope method for trajectory prediction ignored the shallow anchor behavior but applied the deep yield envelope from a deeply embedded horizontal fluke in uniform clay for the whole drag-in installation process. However, the anchor fluke embedment depth and inclination angle change continually during installation in clay with linearly increasing shear strength soil profile in practice. Studies on the effect of fluke inclination angle on the anchor behavior in clay with such non-uniform soil profile under unidirectional and combined loading are important and necessary for the improvement of the yield envelope method to ensure a reasonable prediction. The current 2D finite element studies investigate the anchor behavior for inclined fluke in clay with linearly increasing shear strength under unidirectional vertical, horizontal and rotational loadings first. Then the effects of the fluke inclination angle, soil non-homogeneity and embedment depth ratio on the shallow yield envelopes are investigated. It is found that the effect of fluke inclination angle on the vertical capacity factors for anchor in clay with non-uniform and uniform soil profile is largely different. The resultant large impact on the yield envelopes shown here illustrates the importance of considering the fluke inclination angle and soil non-homogeneity in the prediction of anchor trajectory using yield envelope method.     

An Improved Method of Predicting Drag Anchor Trajectory Based on the Finite Element Analyses of Holding Capacity

Drag anchor is one of the most commonly used anchorage foundation types. The prediction of embedded trajectory in the process of drag anchor installation is of great importance to the safety design of mooring system. In this paper, the ultimate anchor holding capacity in the seabed soil is calculated through the established finite element model, and then the embedded motion trajectory is predicted applying the incremental calculation method. Firstly, the drag anchor initial embedded depth and inclination angle are assumed, which are regarded as the start embedded point. Secondly, in each incremental step, the incremental displacement of drag anchor is added along the parallel direction of anchor plate, so the displacement increment of drag anchor in the horizontal and vertical directions can be calculated. Thirdly, the finite element model of anchor is established considering the seabed soil and anchor interaction, and the ultimate drag anchor holding capacity at new position can be obtained. Fourthly, the angle between inverse catenary mooring line and horizontal plane at the attachment point at this increment step can be calculated through the inverse catenary equation. Finally, the incremental step is ended until the angle of drag anchor and seabed soil is zero as the ultimate embedded state condition, thus, the whole embedded trajectory of drag anchor is obtained. Meanwhile, the influences of initial parameter changes on the embedded trajectory are considered. Based on the proposed method, the prediction of drag anchor trajectory and the holding capacity of mooring position system can be provided.