Water Intake Riser (WIR) offers the potential to convey a large amount of cold water from deep ocean to improve the topside process efficiency and reduce overall cost of a FPU, FPSO or FLNG vessel. Its large diameter (>1m) and high flow rate presents unique design challenges and performance uncertainties. A model test campaign of a large diameter WIR concept has been planned, designed, and executed in an offshore model basin on a fast track basis. The pipe was carefully scaled and fabricated to meet the test objectives. The model test setup included a riser model instrumented with optical strain sensors, a planar motion mechanism which simulates the vessel motions, and an internal water flow system. More than 200 cases were performed in the model basin including sinusoidal and random motion tests in combination with various flow rates. This paper discusses the challenges, observations and lesson learned during the model test, and some of the key results in comparison with analysis models. The successful execution of this project demonstrates that model testing is an important tool in advancing complex deepwater riser concept.
The tensioner stroke range for a Dry Tree Semisubmersible (DTS) in a severe environment application is long and must be well defined for the concept to work. The range needs to be properly calculated and optimized. In this paper, the authors elaborate the design procedures for determining the tensioner stroke on a DTS, and demonstrate the design optimization of a conventional semisubmersible floater in the Center of Gulf of Mexico (GOM) 8000 feet water depth. The primary focus is on the design of the platform configuration to reduce the tensioner stroke by investigating each stroke component, while keeping the robustness of the design. A 4-Column ring pontoon conventional deep draft semisubmersible is re-configured considering the balance between the floater hull size and maximum tensioner stroke range. It is identified that the deck vertical layout, quayside /in-place stability and hull dynamic motions are the key parameters for DTS configuration design iterations. The hull principal particulars are first determined using a frequency domain screening approach to minimize dynamic motions for various loading combinations. Top Tensioned Riser (TTR) and export risers with Steel Catenary Configuration (SCRs) are modeled in the integrated screening process, and mooring line setups are optimized for the global motion analyses. For the governing design cases, riser pipe and tensioner details are modeled for various target tensioner characteristics in a dedicated riser design tool in time-domain. Sensitivity analyses including the tensioner stiffness curve, platform pitch and keel guide effects on the global performance are studied and presented. It can be concluded from the design example that when properly configured, a reasonable tensioner stroke is achievable for typical DTS applications in GOM environment.
This paper discusses the development of a dry-tree semisubmersible (DTS) platform concept appropriate for deployment in non-hurricane/non-cyclonic environments worldwide, and the verification of the concept through wave basin model tests. An example configuration is presented for an application in 2,100 m water depth offshore Brazil.
Dry Tree Semisubmersibles (DTS), with the capability of supporting surface wellheads and allowing drilling and completion through direct vertical access risers, have attracted intense interest from the oil and gas industry. A wet tree deep draft semisubmersible has been carefully reconfigured considering the balance between the overall floater configuration and the tensioner stroke for a harsh environment application. A large amount of simulation efforts have been performed for the optimization of the integrated hull/deck/mooring/riser system. Recently, a basin model test was also successfully completed and further demonstrated its technical feasibility. The paper presents the overall design of a Top-Tensioned Riser (TTR) system for a DTS application focusing on the complexity of the DTS-TTR interface including ram style tensioning system, riser conductor and riser top assembly design with keel joint, etc. Due to the heavy weight of the TTR system in the ultra-deep water application, the riser top sections are subject to high reaction loads with the DTS in severe environments. The riser system faces the challenge to have a feasible and economic top assembly design. In this paper, an engineered riser conductor pipe is introduced to interface the riser top assembly with hull. The riser conductor pipe, which spans from deck to keel, is integrated with riser top assembly and the tensioner system design. The riser conductor protects the riser in the splash zone and prevents the high reaction loads directly transferring from hull to riser, thus reducing the riser keel joint and tension joint size. The feasibility and performance of the TTR system are demonstrated through the static and dynamic analyses. Pipe-in-pipe (PIP) contact model is employed in the simulation to ensure the dynamic interaction loads between riser and riser conductor are captured. The TTR overall system design consideration for the DTS application is discussed.
A model test campaign of a large diameter water intake riser (WIR) has been planned, designed, and successfully executed in an offshore model basin. The objective of the model test is to better understand the global dynamic behavior of WIR, and thus advance its design. The scopes of the model test are to measure the response of the riser under floater motions; investigate the effect of the internal water and flow rate; and observe any vortex-induced-vibration (VIV) and axial instability due to motion and / or internal flow. The paper presents the model test results and the numerical calibrations and validations. The WIR pipe was carefully scaled and designed to meet the test objectives. The WIR in model test scale is 150 mm in inside diameter and approximately 36 m in length. The model test setup includes a fully instrumented riser, a planar motion mechanism (PMM) which simulates the vessel motion and an internal water flow system (IWFS). The riser was instrumented with Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) strain sensors along the pipe length and circumference. The WIR was hung-off from the PMM inside the deep basin pit. More than 200 cases were carried out in the basin including the sinusoidal motion tests and random motion tests with different flow rates. The model tests collected a wealth of data of the WIR dynamic responses under the vessel motions and the internal water flow conditions. As expected, WIR global bending responses are highly dependent on the pipe excitation modes and their corresponding mode curvatures. These responses can be predicted well by numerical software through a calibration process. The axial response of WIR due to motion and/or internal flow is much more complex. The amount of internal water coupled with the pipe depends on the vessel motions and internal flow fluctuation. This is important for axial stability prediction and seawater lift system design.
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