Daniel Fonseca de Carvalho e Silva

Green Water on FPSO Analyzed by a Coupled Potential-Flow-NS-VOF Method

The nowadays frequent use of FPSOs for offshore oil production in areas prone to green water events has increased the industrys focus on wave-induced impact loads as an important design parameter. This is a complex hydrodynamic problem where simplified engineering methods are often used in connection with model testing. Various efforts have been presented during the recent 10–15 years to establish reasonably good industry design tools, while the use of fully nonlinear methods and CFD is still in its development. The main focus of this paper is to investigate the potential of a simplified coupled method between a potential theory based Green Water engineer tool (Kinema3) and the commercial CFD tool Star-CCM+ based on its Navier-Stokes Solver (NS) and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. Results from a case study application on a large FPSO are validated against model test data. The case study contains analyses of the FPSO in long crested regular seas, both in fixed and in moored conditions. Three different heading directions are included. The approach for modeling green water events uses a Finite-Volume-VOF method with a complex velocity inlet boundary condition. Thus the Kinema3 engineering tool is used to generate simplified spatio-temporal inlet conditions from the relative wave elevation and wave kinematics at the bulwark, based on linear potential theory combined with nonlinear random wave kinematics. The VOF method is then used to model the detailed flow on deck, including impact forces on deck structures. Kinema3 can also generate simplified estimates for the peak water height, velocity as well as impact force values assuming an extended dam-break approach together with a simplified, local 2D deck layout, and comparisons to the CFD results show an overall fairly good agreement although flow details on deck can of course not be expected to be modeled that well. Comparisons of the above results to model test data show good agreement both for the relative wave height, water height and impact force level, in regular and irregular waves. Detailed time histories, including force rise time, from the coupled Kinema3 - Star-CCM+ CFD simulation analysis are quite similar to the measured ones. The CPU time consumption for the coupled simulation is moderate compared to a full CFD simulation of the FPSO in waves. Hence the achieved calculation time and the simplicity of the simulation setup of the numerical simulation makes this method an interesting candidate for industrial use. This work is a part of the research project “Green Water and Wave Impact on FPSO” carried out for and in cooperation with PETROBRAS.Copyright

Green Water Loads Determination for FPSO Exposed to Beam Sea Conditions

Considering new offshore frontiers for oil exploration and production, specially the Santos Basin region, FPSOs will be exposed to more severe wave conditions. This scenario requires careful analysis with respect to the green water phenomenon. The complex physics involved in the water-on-deck flow implies on several uncertainties regarding green water loads analysis. Taking into account model tests, CFD simulations and analytical formulations, this paper aims to simplify the green water loads determination, proposing a methodology to estimate these loads considering the water elevation above deck measured from experiments or numerical tools. In order to accomplish this objective, CFD simulations with different solvers were run for a benchmark case, showing that it is a suitable approach for a global result in impact dam break cases. After that, a special boundary condition was calibrated to represent model test results of water propagation in a FPSO deck exposed to beam sea in terms of water elevation. Using this CFD model, the loads on exposed structures was determined and compared against the dam break analytical formulation, which was modified to take into account the gap between each structure and the deck. Finally some vane type protection structures were simulated and their efficiency in partially obstructing the water-on-deck flow was evaluated. As a global result from all these analysis, a more comprehensive strategy for green water loads determination is proposed.© 2014 ASME

CFD Simulation and Wind Tunnel Investigation of a FPSO Offshore Helideck Turbulent Flow

The offshore helideck wind flow is usually subject to many interferences. The helideck airspace velocity and turbulence fields are important issues to promote safe helicopter take-off and landing operations. The current work brings some CFD results of a helideck wind flow 3D-field defined by the local conditions and constrained by the FPSO structure. A discussion about the chosen CFD boundary conditions is also presented. These CFD results are compared with the wind tunnel model-scale velocity and turbulence measurements. The wind tunnel measurements were performed with use of two different techniques: Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Constant Temperature Anemometry (CTA). The British standard CAP437: Offshore Helideck Design Criteria is examined and suggestions are made herein. The CFD simulations were conducted using the ANSYS CFX software.Copyright

Directional stability of the torpedo anchor pile during its installation

The so-called torpedo anchoring system is a novel and yet already intensively field-proven by Petrobras (the Brazilian oil company) offshore, Brazil. It is a pile with a specific elongated form that is buried in the sea bottom to hold mooring lines that are connected to floating production units. This is so even for very deep water (typically 1800 m). The methodology of installation of the torpedo pile so far consists of a vertical launching, starting with the torpedo above and close (typically 100 m) to the sea bottom. This installation path then occurs from the pile at the starting position with zero velocity until it reaches the bottom. During this installation, the pile travels almost freely, only dragging the mooring line. It is obvious that the object has to have a minimum directional stability to arrive vertically at the bottom. The pile becomes useless when it gets a vertical angle that is outside certain limits (typically three degrees). The present article addresses the directional stability of the torpedo pile during the installation.

A Fully Nonlinear RANS-VOF Numerical Wavetank Applied in the Analysis of Green Water on FPSO in Waves

This paper presents numerical simulations of Green Water events and wave impact on a FPSO. The simulations are performed at model scale and the results are compared against experimental model test results. The commercial Star-CCM+ CFD software is used in the simulations. The incoming waves are modeled using 5th order Stokes theory, as implemented in the CFD software. Both fixed and free floating FPSO are considered. The moving FPSO are modeled using Chimera overset mesh technology. The vessels is free to move in heave and pitch at 180 (head sea), roll and heave at 270 (beam sea), while roll, pitch and heave is released at 225 (quartering sea). The computed water height on the deck and the relative wave height in vicinity the vessel are compared against model test results at several positions. Also the impact force on load cells blocks located at the deck of the vessel is computed and compared against model test results. The comparison of the time histories of the water elevation and load histories are in reasonable agreement with the measured time series. The number of grid cells range from 7M for the simulations at head sea, where flow is assumed to be symmetric, to 21M for the simulations at quartering sea. Total wall clock simulation time was about 10days for the most computationally demanding cases, which are the quartering sea simulations. This includes simulation of 12 wave periods with the ship fixed, and thereafter 8 wave periods of the free floating vessel. The computations show that CFD tools can be used as a research tool when studying the physics of green water and wave impact events. However, due to time CPU demanding simulations, this type of CFD analysis are not yet a practical tool for parametric design studies and deck structure optimizations. This work is a part of the research project “Green Water and Wave Impact on FPSO” carried out for and in cooperation with PETROBRAS.Copyright

Green Water and Wave Impact on FPSOs in Santos Basin: Challenges and Prediction Tools

Green water (water-on-deck) and subsequent wave impact is a strongly non-linear, random and complex phenomenon that represents an important factor to be considered in the design of moored vessels and vessels in transit. The Santos Basin, in southeast Brazil, is a new frontier for deep water oil production, where FPSO green water issues are expected to be more important. In this paper, we investigate new green water challenges associated with the Santos Basin. We employ an engineering prediction tool, KINEMA, designed to predict wave-induced impact loads on FPSOs in steep irregular waves, and for use in early design load analysis. We perform a sensitivity study to arbitrary wave directions and present preliminary results from a case study that would be illustrating for the Santos Basin.Firstly, a comparison between numerical green water predictions and a set of earlier model test data for a Campos Basin case shows satisfactory agreement. A sensitivity study suggests that an empirical tuning factor, which is related to wave amplification and wave-structure interaction, should decrease with increasing wave heading. Then, a preliminary numerical investigation of the green water problem in Santos Basin wave conditions demonstrates that although the wave impact from the largest waves (S-SW) may be avoided by heading the vessel towards S-SW, other wave directions have to be taken into consideration. The results presented herein confirm that multi-directional wave heading is a green water challenge in the Santos Basin. Further studies that address this problem in detail, in special variations in the wave-structure interactions due to wave heading, and for actual particular Santos Basin FPSO’s, are recommended.Copyright

EdgeCFD-ALE: A Stabilized Finite Element System for Fluid-Structure Interaction in Offshore Engineering

This work presents the development of EdgeCFD-ALE, a finite element system for complex fluid-structure interactions designed for offshore hydrodynamics. Sloshing of liquids in tanks, wave breaking in ships, offshore platforms motions and green water on decks are important examples of these problems. The software uses edge-based parallel stabilized finite elements for the Navier-Stokes equations and the Volume-Of-Fluid method for the free-surface, both described by an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) formulation. Turbulence in is treated by a Smagorinsky model. Mesh updating is accomplished by a parallel edge-based solution of a non-homogeneous scalar diffusion problem in each spatial coordinate. Boundary conditions involve the motion of the immersed body’s surface, i.e., the fluid-structure interface, taken as the Lagrangian portion of the domain in the overall problem. The simulation capabilities of the present software are demonstrated in the solution of two problems, the interaction of two cylinders in tandem and the free fall of a sphere.Copyright

CFD Hydrodynamic Analysis of a Torpedo Anchor Directional Stability

The geometry of offshore anchors is usually determined from a geotechnical perspective. This paper presents the proposal of simple modifications on a torpedo anchor to improve its hydrodynamic performance concerning its directional stability. Additionally, the study of a real case torpedo deformation is presented. Although the directional stability investigation requires a dynamic analysis, the CFD simulations were performed on a steady state regime to show for which inclinations the anchor tends to recover the vertical position. The trajectory was investigated through a simplified dynamic model and compared with field measurements.Copyright

Green Water on FPSO Predicted by a Practical Engineering Method and Validated Against Model Test Data for Irregular Waves

This paper presents a series of numerical analyses performed with the potential theory-based Green Water engineer tool KINEMA3. KINEMA3 was designed to predict wave-induced impact loads on FPSOs in steep irregular waves, and for use in design load analysis. The purpose of the study presented herein is to validate KINEMA3 green water (deck overtopping) predictions in nonlinear irregular waves with results from model tests performed at the TPN (Tanque de Provas Numerico) laboratory at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Comparisons are made for a selection of irregular wave cases, for two choices of anchoring conditions (free floating vessel and fixed vessel) and for three wave headings (180°, 225° and 270°: head, quartering and beam seas, respectively).KINEMA3 statistical green water predictions present a general good agreement with observations from the TPN model tests for all wave cases, headings and mooring conditions. Overall, observed trends for occurrence of green water and standard deviation/maximum of relative wave height are successfully reproduced by KINEMA3. In agreement with model test results, it is predicted that green water occurs more frequently for a free floating vessel and for beam seas.Additional comparisons between KINEMA3 predictions using different FPSO panel models (low-order and high-order models) present negligible differences with respect to green water estimates. The results presented herein demonstrate the robustness of the tool towards the prediction of green water for variable wave headings and sea states, and highlight the capability of KINEMA3 to be employed as an engineering-like tool for fast and multiple estimates of green water in early design studies.This work is a part of the research project “Green Water and Wave Impact on FPSO” carried out for and in cooperation with PETROBRAS.Copyright

A Stabilized Edge-Based Finite Element Approach to Wave-Structure Interaction Assessment

Complex flows involving waves and free-surfaces occur in several problems in hydrodynamics, such as fuel or water sloshing in tanks, waves breaking in ships, offshore platforms motions, wave action on harbors and coastal areas. The computation of such highly nonlinear flows is challenging since waves and free-surfaces commonly present merging, fragmentation and cusps, leading to the use of interface capturing Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) approaches. In such methods the interface between the two fluids is captured by the use of a marking function that is transported in a flow field. In this work we simulate these problems with a 3D incompressible SUPG/PSPG parallel edge-based finite element flow solver associated to the Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) method. The hyperbolic equation for the transport of the marking function is also solved by a fully implicit parallel edge-based SUPG finite element formulation. Global mass conservation is enforced adding or removing mass proportionally to the absolute value of the normal velocity at the interface. All those techniques were successfully implemented in a computational code, which has been suitably used to carry out several studies. The performance and accuracy of the proposed solution method is tested in the simulation waves and in the interaction between waves and a semisubmersible structure. Results count on the establishment of a relaxation zone close to the domain outflow, which partially absorbs incoming waves, avoiding their reflection.Copyright