• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.99-110
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• 2017

This paper presents the study of the bending behavior of mooring chain links for keeping the position of the offshore floating structures. In general, chain links have been thought as the axial members due to the fundamental boundary condition. But, the flexural stiffness can be induced to the contact surface between chain links when friction occurs at the surface of the chain links due to high tensile force. Especially, the mooring chains for offshore floating platforms are highly tensioned. If the floater suffers rotational motion and the mooring chain links are highly tensioned, the rotation between contact links, induced by the floater rotation, generates the bending moment and relevant stresses due to the unexpected bending stiffness. In 2005, the mooring chain links for the Girassol Buoy Platform were failed after just 5 months after facility installation, and the accident investigation research concluded the chain failure was mainly caused by the fatigue due to the unexpected bending stress fluctuation. This study investigates the pattern of the induced bending stiffness and stresses of the highly tensioned chain links by nonlinear finite element analysis.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.22-32
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• 2013

This paper presents the conceptual design procedure for the taut-leg mooring lines of a floating-type combined renewable energy platform. The basic configuration of the platform is determined based on an understanding of floating offshore plants. The main dimensions and mass distribution are determined based on a hydrostatic calculation. To identify the motion history of the floating platform and the tension history of the mooring lines, a hydrodynamic analysis is executed using Ansys.Aqwa. This helps in the selection of the best configuration for the mooring system such as the number of mooring lines, wire types, anchored positions, etc. In addition, the fatigue life of the mooring lines can be predicted from the tension history using the rain-flow cycle counting method.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.594-600
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• 2022

When a large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier is anchored at a coastal terminal, calculations on mooring forces of mooring cables induced by environmental loads such as strong winds and currents are needed to secure mooring safety. The advantages and disadvantages of several existing mooring force calculation methods are compared and analyzed with their application conditions. Resultingly, mooring equipment guidelines of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) are chosen as the computational method for this study. In this paper, the mooring forces of a large LNG carrier with spectrum was calculated using the OCIMF mooring equipment guidelines. The calculation shows similar maximum forces resulted from the calculation using experiment data of a wind tunnel test. To verify the results, OPTIMOOR, a dedicated mooring force calculation software, is used to calculate the same mooring conditions. The results of both calculations show that the computational method recommended by OCIMF is safe and reliable. OPTIMOOR calculates more detailed tensile force of each mooring cable. Thus, the calculation on mooring forces of mooring cables of a large LNG carrier using OCIMF mooring equipment guidelines is verified as an applicable and safe method.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.248-253
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• 2023

Most offshore platforms utilize chain mooring systems for position keeping. However, information regarding related design modification processes is scarce in literature. This study focuses on the floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering terminal (FLBT) as the target of shore platform and analyzes the corresponding initial mooring design and model tests via numerical simulations. Subsequently, based on the modified design conditions, a new mooring system design is proposed. Adjusting the main direction of the mooring line bundle according to the dominant environmental direction is found to significantly reduce the mooring design load. Even turret-moored offshore platforms are exposed to beam sea conditions, leading to high mooring tension due to motions in beam sea conditions. Collinear environmental conditions cannot be considered as design conditions. Mooring design loads occur under complex conditions of wind, waves, and currents in different environmental directions. Therefore, it is essential appropriately assign the roll damping coefficients during mooring analysis because the roll has a significant effect on mooring tension.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.300-310
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• 2014

This paper presents a mooring design procedure of a floating offshore wind turbine. The environment data of south offshore area of Jeju collected from Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration(KHOA) are used for hydrodynamic analyses as environmental conditions. We considered a semi-submersible type floating wind turbine based on Offshore Code Comparison Collaborative Continuation(OC4) DeepCWind platform and National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL) 5 MW class wind turbine. Catenary mooring with studless chain is chosen as the mooring system. Important design decisions such as how large the nomial sizes are, how long the mooring lines are, how far the anchor points are located, are demonstrated in detail. Considering ultimate limit state and fatigue limit state based on 100-year return period and 50-year design life, respectively, longterm predictions of breaking strength and fatigue are proposed.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.59-70
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• 1988

This paper presents the results of motion tests of a moored semi-submersible platform in regular waves. To investigate the effects of mooring system on the motion characteristics, the tests were performed under the various mooring conditions in regular head and beam waves. Two types of mooring system were employed: one is composed of soft springs and the other is of chains. In the case of chains the pretensions were varied to investigate the dynamic effects of mooring forces as well as the motion responses of the semi-submersible. The motion responses and mooring tensions were measured and analyzed by the double amplitude method. The measured motion responses were also compared with the results of calculation from three-dimensional potential theory. Finally, the dynamic behaviors of mooring chains were studied.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2015

This paper presents effect of aerodynamic loads on mooring line responses of a floating offshore wind turbine. A Matlab code based on blade element momentum (BEM) theory is developed to consider aerodynamic loads acting on NREL 5MW wind turbine. The aerodynamic loads are coupled with time-domain hydrodynamic analyses using one-way interaction scheme of the wave and wind loads. A semi-submersible floating platform which is from Offshore Code Comparison Collaborative Continuation(OC4) DeepCWind platform is used with catenary mooring lines simply composed of studless chain links. Average values of mooring peak tensions obtained from aerodynamic load consideration are significantly increased compared to those from simple wind drag force consideration. Consideration of aerodynamic loads also yield larger tension ranges which can be important factor to reduce fatigue life of the mooring lines.