Proceedings of the ASME 2010 29th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering

OMAE2010
June 6-11, 2010, Shanghai, China
Proceedings of the ASME 2010 29th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering
OMAE 2010
July 6-11, 2010, Shanghai, China

OMAE2010-20190
OMAE 2010-20190

OPTIMAL DESIGN METHODOLOGY FOR MULTI-COMPONENT MOORING

SYSTEMS IN DEEP WATER

Long Yu and Jiahua Tan

School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil
Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai, China

ABSTRACT
Multi-component mooring systems, one of the crucial
equipments of offshore platforms, play an important role in
deep water oil&gas production because of relative low cost and
light weight. A single mooring line can be constructed by
combination of wire ropes, chains, fiber ropes, buoys and
connectors etc. and provide adequate restoring force at fairlead
point of platforms. Although the static and dynamic analyzing
approaches for a determined multi-component system have
been studied already, it is still hard to design and predetermine
an appropriate mooring system that can satisfy the codes with
multi-component lines. Referred to the conventional mooring
system design method, this paper brings out an optimal design
methodology for multi-component mooring systems. According
to quasi-static method, at extreme offset position of the
platform, an optimization model for designing the multi-
component mooring line with biggest tension in deep water has
been provided. Then, with the aid of design wave method and
morison equation, a finite element model has been used to
calculate mooring line dynamics at each fairlead point in time
domain. The nonlinear interaction of mooring lines and seabed
has also been investigated. Heave and surge of the platform
have also been considered. Both 2D and 3D mooring system
models have been built to search the interference of the lines
and directional influence of environment loads like current and
wave. The paper applied this set of analyzing methods and
processes into a deep water semisubmersible serving at South
China Sea. Compared with the results calculated by other
software, the methodology mentioned in the paper got similar
result with less weight and bigger restoring force.
INTRODUCTION
Multi-component mooring systems, one of the crucial
equipments of offshore platforms, play an important role in
deep water since they have relative low cost and light weight. A
typical multi-components mooring line consists of a number of
components such as wire rope, chain, synthetic rope and buoy
etc., providing adequate restoring force at fairlead point
connected with platforms. Plenty of selectable materials make
it hard to design a proper system. The difficulty lies in
geometry nonlinearity, mooring line elongation nonlinearity,
wave and current load nonlinearity and seabed interaction
nonlinearity. To design an appropriate multi-component
mooring system will need a special procedure.
Although the static analyzing approaches for a determined
multi-component system have been already studied (Smith and
MacFarlane, 2001) and dynamics analysis as well (D.T.Brown
and S.Mavrakos, 1999), it is still an unsolved combination
problem for determining suitable composition of multi
component to form a line. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior
of the multi-component mooring line also should be
investigated. Some researchers tried to seek for the optimal
mooring pattern with new optimization method (Shafieefar and
Rezvani, 2007).
Based on the former work on optimal preliminary analysis
of the mooring line composition (Yu and Tan, 2005) and 2D
model with symmetry lines accounts for the seabed interactions
(Yu and Tan, 2006), a 3D model has been built in this paper to
simulate the real mooring system and dynamic analysis has
been fulfilled in time domain. Then, an efficient design
methodology has been concluded and applied to a practical
design assignment as a numerical example.
METHODOLOGY
Referred to the conventional mooring system design
processes, the design steps can be briefly shown as Figure 1.
Firstly, based on conventional catenary theory, the multi-
component catenary equations at specified water depth have


Corresponding author. E-mail: yulone@sjtu.edu.cn

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 been deduced. The stiffness matrix of each line has also been displacement of the whole mooring system cannot exceed 3%
revealed. of the water depth.
Secondly, according to quasi-static method, at extreme
offset position of the platform, an optimization model for OPTIMIZATION MODEL
designing the multi-component mooring line with biggest According to the catenary equations for mutli-component
tension in deep water has been provided. The restoring force mooring line, a multi-object optimization model for proper
provide by the mooring system has been computed by iteration combinations is built.
to satisfy the requirement of seakeeping. The economical and
technical factors have been considered in each iteration until Method of analysis
the optimal combination of the components has been found. A quasi-static analysis method is often used for evaluating
Then construction of the multi-component system can be the performance of a mobile mooring system, and the effects of
determined. line dynamics are accommodated through the use of a relatively
Thirdly, design wave method and morison equation has conservative safety factor.
been taken to evaluate the environment loads. A finite element
model has been used to calculate mooring line dynamics at Catenary equations for multi-component mooring line
each fairlead point in time domain. The nonlinear interaction of The line tension is the summary of integral along the line
mooring lines and seabed has also been investigated. Heave (Yu and Tan, 2005).
and surge of the platform have also been considered. This  n 1 k 
procedure is modeled in 2D.   Wn 1i Ln 1i 
Fourthly, a 3D model has been built to investigate the tg k   i 1  (1)
Qj
interference of the lines and directional influence of
2
environment loads like current and wave. The restoring force n
 n 
provide by the whole system has been modified at this step, T  Q j   Wk hk    Wk Lk   Q 2j (2)
with simply modeled slow drift force. k 1  k 1 
Q 
Finally, the paper applied this set of analyzing methods
Sk   j   sh 1  tg k   sh1  tg k 1   (3)
and processes into a deep water semisubmersible serving at  Wk 

 
South China Sea. Compared with the results calculated by other
Q 
software, the methodology mentioned in the paper got similar hk   j  tg 2 k  1  tg 2 k 1  1 (4)
 Wk 
result with less weight and bigger restoring force.
Mooring system design is a procedure of iterating and where: k is the number of segments; j is the number of
approximating. In order to satisfy the requirement of the code, mooring lines; Lk , S k , hk — the k th segment line length,
the design should choose appropriate equipments and
components of mooring lines according to the static and horizontal length and vertical length. L , S , H —the total line
dynamic analysis of mooring lines. The physical contents of length, horizontal length and water depth. Q j is the horizontal
mooring have not been discovered entirely and are still worthy tension provided by single line. T is the single line tension.
of more researches and developments.
 k is the angle at the connection point between the k th and
Maximum design condition k  1 th segment. Wk is the k th segment weight per unit
The maximum design condition is defined as that
length (WPUL).
combination of wind, waves and current for which the mooring
system is designed.
Optimization model
Dynamic analysis accounts for the time varying effects due
In building the optimal model, the technical and economic
to mass, damping, and fluid acceleration. In this approach,
factors both should be considered.
dynamic models are used to predict mooring line responses to
Object 1: maximum horizontal stiffness coefficient
the fairlead motions.
In time domain method, all nonlinear effects including line max K j
j
stretch, line geometry, fluid loading, and sea bottom effects can
be modeled.
Kj 
dQ j

W L k k (5)
  Wk Lk
d   Wk S k  
Design criteria 
 Qj  S k  2 th 
 
  Lk 

According to API RP 2SK(API RP-2SK, 2005), design   2Q j  
tension of the mooring line cannot exceed half of the break This object represents the requirement to horizontal
strength of the material, while working condition the tension restoring force.
cannot exceed one third of the break strength. The Object 2: minimum weight

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 The overall weight is the linear functions of the WPUL and node (tension, gravity, fluid dynamics and reaction force of
length of the mooring line. seabed).

min Wk  Lk 
k
(6)
Fluid dynamics
Conditions: The riser analysis has been fulfilled as Benchmark
(a) The restoring force provided by the mooring system can (ABAQUS). fluid dynamics includes wave and fluid of the
balance the external environment force; mooring line are solved by Morison equations.
  C D U N 
(b) The water depth limitation. 1 2
F
DN N (9)
2
DYNAMICS OF THE MOORING LINES
  C D UT 
1 2
Normally, dynamic analysis method for mooring system F
DT T
(10)
2
can be divided into two parts as design wave or wave spectrum.
In this paper, design wave method has been taken, and a finite where D is the diameter of cable; C N is the normal drag
method has also been used to calculate mooring line dynamics coefficient; CT is the tangent drag coefficient; U N is the
in time domain. Through comparative study of single
component and multi-component mooring line is also executed. vertical velocity; U T is the tangent particle velocity.
A mooring line and seabed interaction finite element model
is built. Geometry offsets and stresses of a mooring line are Algorithm for Nonlinear Equations
also computed gradually. By utilizing the elastic model to Structure nonlinear problems are complex because the
simulate the seabed, mooring line dynamics and offsets are stiffness matrix change with the displacement so product of the
calculated, accounting for the friction between the contact of initial slender matrix and loads cannot be used for solving the
line and seabed. displacement under arbitrary loads. Virtual displacements and
Lagrange formulations are used for resolving. The purpose of
Wave theory structure nonlinear analysis is to seek the balance when
Fifth stokes theory has been used in calculation, where subjecting the outside forces.
wave height is 9.144m, wave period is 13.6s and current K¢= KL + KG+KNL (11)
velocity is 0.926m/s. where KL is the linear stiffness matrix, KG is the geometry
stiffness matrix, KNL is the initial strain matrix of elements.
Slow drift force
Platforms moor in deep water, large amplitude slow drift CASE STUDY
motions in horizontal plane will occur, which brings big force. The methodology is testified in upgrading of mooring
For second order slow drift force can be calculated as system of “Nanhai 2” shown as Figure 2, a semi worked in
follows(日本海事協會, 1983). South China Sea, and replace with combinations of wire and
  chain.
1 2 2 2 2 H  (7) Environment load are determined by API RP-2SK, for
F   ghACR 1 
 

sl 2
 g  sinh  2 simplicity, the riser system is omitted. Ten years hurricane of
g 
2 H
 GOM is used as extreme design condition while one GOM is
where C R is reflection coefficient.； hA is wave amplitude used for working condition and environment loads
consideration, shown as Table 1 and Table 2. Optimization
while  is the frequency.  is density of sea. results with pretension force, shown as Table 3.
The semisubmersible moored in deepwater is considered to
Mooring line governing equation be a point with lumped point. It has two motions prescribed: an
Mooring line is a slender structure so nonlinear partial initial buoyancy of 3000kN and a sinusoidal motion about its
differential equations have been used to determine the line static equilibrium point, representing the surge motion, with
dynamics. Lumped mass method is used and the mooring line peak-to-peak amplitude of 1.22 m and a period of 9 seconds.
is composed by multi discrete elements. The position is First, two symmetry displayed mooring line with seabed
determined by cartesian spatial coordinate. For each node j , interaction is modeled in ABAQUS to testify the optimization
the governing equation is: result, shown as Figure 3. Through above computation, fifth
 A j  aij  t   X  F  t  (8)
stokes wave theory and fairlead point motion are considered.
  j j Mooring line tensions are stable, shown as Table 4. Fairlead
point where mooring line is connected with platform, connect
where A j is inertial matrix, aij is added inertial matrix, X j
point where chain and wire rope is linked and moor point
is the total acceleration vector, F j  t  is the force vector on the where anchor and line linked. The stresses of these points
increased rapidly at the beginning when suffering the wave and

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 current load, then converged. The connect point has fluctuated
because of the different material linkage. Maximum resultant
force at fairlead point is 2780 kN while the it stabled at 2260kN
with time increased.
Then, 3D FE model with 4 mooring lines combined with
wire and chain is also been investigated, shown as Figure 6.
The average restoring force is 2795.85kN. The 2D and 3D
analysis result has been compared in Figure 7, where the 3D
model has much larger tension than 2D model.
DISCUSSION
MIMOSA is an interactive computer program based on
frequency domain for static and dynamic analysis of moored
vessels. Calculation results of “Nanhai 2” mooring system with
MIMOSA and optimal method are shown as Table 5. With
lighter weight and larger system restoring force, the
optimization brought out a more proper result.
According to the design procedure, the restoring force
calculated at different phases shown as Table 6. The quasi-
static method cannot account for the platform motions so its
restoring force will be the smallest among the three phases.
Discussion of different component length
Increment of the wire length will induce smaller stress,
shown in Figure 8.
Different lengths of segments will influence the dynamics
and offset of the mooring line. To increase the wire length will
cause larger offset at fairlead point both in surge and heave,
shown as Figure 9. The substantial change is the weight of the
mooring system. It generates smaller stresses and bigger
offsets.
Discussion of multi-component mooring line with
single mooring line
Multi-component mooring line composed by wire and
chain compares with single mooring line only constructed by
the same wire with friction and without friction. Stresses
comparison results showed in Figure 10 and offsets showed as
Figure 11.
Compared with single mooring line, under the same
environment loads, multi-component mooring line has smaller
surge, heave motions and smallest offset.
RESULT
This paper brings out a design methodology for designing
cost effective and appropriate mooring system that can provide
adequate restoring force to satisfy the requirements of the
moored platform.
With the results and analysis, some conclusions can be
drawn as follows:
(1) The restoring force provided by the multi-component
mooring system can be calculated with different analysis
approaches. The more the model close to the reality, the more
accuracy the result will be received.
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(2) The dynamics of the mooring line are much more severe
than the quasi-static results so that the optimal composition of
multi-component lines should be checked in 3D model for its
extreme conditions.
(3) For simplicity, the optimization model introduced in this
paper can be used for preliminary design of a deep water
mooring system with composite mooring lines.
(4) Different component length will cause different dynamic
responds. The weight of the mooring system increase will be
beneficial to stresses but leads to bigger offsets.
(5) Under the same environment, a proper designed multi-
component mooring system can induce smaller fairlead
motions than that of a single line system.
REFERENCES
[1]. T.M.Smith, M.C.Chen, A.M.Radwan, 1985, Systematic
Data for the preliminary design of mooring systems[J],
Proceedings of the fourth International Offshore
Mechanics and Arctic Engineering Symposium, n 1, p
403-407.
[2]. API RP-2SK, 2005, Recommended Practice for Design
and Analysis of Stationkeeping Systems for Floating
Structures[M], AMERICAN PETROLIUM INSITITUTE.
[3]. Mehdi Shafieefar, Aidin Rezvani, 2007, Mooring
optimization of floating platforms usinga genetic
algorithm, Ocean Engineering, v 34,
[4]. MIMOSA, 2002, User’s Documentation, MARINTEK,
Trondheim, Norway.
[5]. Russell J. Smith, Colin J. MacFarlane, 2001, Statics of a
three component mooring line[J], Ocean Engineering , 28,
p 899–914.
[6]. D.T.Brown, S.Mavrakos, 1999, Comparative study on
mooring line dynamic loading[J], Marine Structures, p
131-151.
[7]. Long Yu, Jiahua Tan, 2005, Analysis of optimization for
preliminary design of multi-component mooring systems,
China Ocean Engineering, v 19,n 2, p 299-308.
[8]. Long Yu, Jiahua Tan, 2006, Numerical investigation of
seabed interaction in time domain analysis of mooring
cables, Journal of Hydrodynamics, v 18,n 4,p 424-430.
[9]. 日本海事協會, 1983, 系留システムの設計指針-Guide
to Mooring System[M], 昭和53年
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 Figure 4 Stresses distribution along mooring line
after wave

Figure 1 Design methodology outline

Figure 5 Restoring force at fairlead point varied

with time

Figure 2 Pattern of mooring system

Figure 6 FE model and result of wire and chain

Figure 3 2D FE model for computation combination

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 (b) heave
Figure 9 Comparison of offsets at fairlead point
Figure 7 Dynamics compared for 2D and 3D at fairlead include surge and heave
point

Figure 10 Stresses of mooring cable varied with time

Figure 8 Comparison of stresses at fairlead point with
different segment length

(a) surge
(a) surge

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 tension

Table 5 Results calculated by optimization

compared with that of MIMOSA
Moorin Maximu
Chain Restori
g Wire m
lengt ng
system length tension
h force
weight (m) force
(m) (kN)
(kN) (kN)
Optimal
1624.54 899.8 2286 1804.84 2618.29
model
MIMOS
1652.00 914.4 2194.6 1779.93 2382.85
(b) heave A
Figure 11 Offsets at fairlead point include surge
and heave Table 6 Restoring forces at different phases(unit: kN)
Quasi-static 2D 3D
optimization dynamic dynamic
Restoring
2618.29 2780 2795.85
force
Line tension 1804.84 2452.5 2510.38

Table 1 Design conditions

1 year hurricane 10 year hurricane
of GOM of GOM
Wave height Hs m 4.8768 9.144
Wave period s 10.0 13.6
Current
m/s 0.72 0.926
velocity

Table 2 Environment load (unit: kN)

Angle 00 450 900
Wave load 164.22 133.51 163.73
GOM 1year Current load 198.06 373.76 367.58
hurricane
GOM 10 years Wave load 274.97 290.57 275.86
hurricane Current load 279.88 549.56 548.18

Table 3 Optimization results

Weigth per
Draugh Restorin Wire Chain pretensio
unit
t g force length length n
length(kg/m)
(m) (kN) (m) (m) (kN)
wire chain
203.0
1371 2618.29 2286 899.8 32.22 1722.24
4

Table 4 Maximum line tensions(unit: kN)

moor connect fairlead
point point point
Max tension 784.8 2648.7 3139.2
Mean 686.7 1962 2452.5

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