Methodology and Verification of the Hydrodynamic Simulation of a Spread Moored Fpso with Elastomeric Supporting Topside Modules

Abstract

The offshore elastomeric supporting style via steel reinforced elastomeric bearing pads (SREBPs) has been applied to varieties of offshore structures gradually. In this study, a numerical method is proposed to simulate the hydrodynamic responses of FPSO and the structural interactions between hull and topside modules synchronously for a spread moored FPSO with elastomeric supporting topside modules. In addition, a model test of the spread moored FPSO with elastomeric supporting topside modules has been conducted innovatively in a deepwater offshore basin for verifying the numerical results, including the motion responses of FPSO, the acceleration responses of topside modules and the dynamic deformations of SREBPs. The study shows that the numerical results are consistent with experimental results overall though there are some differences, which proves that the proposed numerical method is available and applicable for the engineering practice. The study also indicates that the elastomeric supporting of topside modules makes no pronounced influences on the responses of FPSO and topside modules.

Keywords: FPSO, spread moored, elastomeric supporting, topside module, hydrodynamic simulation, model test