Assessment of dynamic line and fender loads for moored tankers

TERMSIM
TERMSIM is a time domain simulation program to analyse the dynamic
behaviour of a moored export tanker subject to wind, waves and
current. The mooring system can be a Single Point Mooring (SPM), a
Multi Buoy Mooring (MBM) or a Jetty terminal. The program predicts the
mooring loads and tanker motions when the system is exposed to
operational environmental conditions.

Tanker
The tanker is a crude carrier of regular dimensions. The new OCIMF
tanker database containing hydrodynamic data for several tankers is
included in the program. Based on the main particulars of the tanker a
selection from the OCIMF database is made. Through an expert mode a
user defined tanker can be used for the simulations.

MBM
In a multi buoy terminal the tanker is moored by mooring legs
consisting of anchor chains, chain-buoy-steel wire or chain-buoysynthetic rope.
Jetty
For the jetty terminal the tanker can be moored by means of
mooring legs and fenders. A mooring leg can consist of a number of
parallel running, but equal lines, and can be made of steel wire,
synthetic rope or a combination of steel wire with a nylon tail. A
selection can be made from six types of fenders.

Environment
The environmental conditions concern steady current, steady or irregular
wind field, swell and long crested irregular waves coming from arbitrary
directions. Several spectral formulations for the wind, wave and swell
are available. The water depth can be arbitrary.

Mooring systems

MARI N
P.O. Box 28

6700 AA Wageningen
The Netherlands

Input
The input of data is user-friendly. The program makes use of a user
interface with a graphical input check.
V. 2010/05/06_MSG Soft. 19

Three types of terminals are considered:

SPM
The SPM terminal consists of a conventional CALM buoy which is
moored to the seabed by means of anchor chains. The tanker is
moored to the buoy by means of a bow hawser. The bow hawser
can be selected from a database containing characteristics of
synthetic material e.g. nylon, polyester, polypropylene and
Dyneema.

T +31 317 49 39 11
F +31 317 49 32 45

E info@marin.nl
I www.marin.nl

Databases

Validation

Several databases are delivered with the program.

Mooring elements
The mooring element database contains particulars of common
offshore chains, steel wires, synthetic ropes and fenders.
OCIMF wind and current data
This database contains non-dimensional wind and current
force/moment coefficients for use in the calculation of wind and
current loads on a tanker.
OCIMF diffraction data
The new OCIMF diffraction database containing the results of
diffraction analyses for several tanker configurations.
Hydrodynamic reaction coefficients
This database contains non-dimensional coefficients for use in the
formulations of hydro-dynamic reaction forces.

Model tests were carried out in MARINs Wave and Current basin. Each
terminal type was modelled to moor a tanker. The three systems were
exposed to wind, current, swell and waves. In order to validate the
computer program the three different systems were also simulated with
TERMSIM. A good correlation with the model tests was found.

Note
A special version of TERMSIM is available which computes only mean
values of vessel position and line and fender forces. Mooring legs can
be composed of lines with buoys and clumps. This version is also
suitable for LNG carriers and barges.

Simulation control
The following situations can be simulated:
Intact condition.
Damaged condition.

Output
The output of each simulation consists of a binary database containing
all samples of the calculated signals. The signals include the tanker
motions, mooring loads in all mooring legs and other interesting
quantities for the analysis of the mooring system behaviour. The system
layout is represented graphically in a schematic format to detect input
errors in an early stage. A comprehensive data processing package is
delivered with the program to view, plot and print the output results.
For more information please contact the Maritime Simulation &
Software Group;
T +31 317 493 237
E msg@marin.nl