saipem

FIPLA
Anysim Based Version

Fully Integrated PipeLaying

Analysis Simulation Tool
Fabio Dezi

Francesco Saverio Di Tomaso

Paolo Monti
Irene Renzi

SAIPEM WHO WE ARE

Saipem is an international
company leader in Services
for Oil & Gas Industry.

It operates in Onshore and

Offshore environment, with
a strong focus in remote
areas and deep waters.

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

SAIPEM FRONTIER OFFSHORE PROJECT

Wasit, Saudi Arabia

TAP, Adriatic Sea

JSM, Bigfoot and KCC,

Gulf of Mexico

Burullus, Mediterreanean

Nord Stream, Baltic Sea

South Stream, Black Sea

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

PIPELAY INTRODUCTION
One of the main Saipem offshore activities is the pipelay operation. The installed pipelay methods
are J-lay or S-lay. The workspace in a pipelay vessel is called firing line where is made the
aligning, coupling and welding of the pipe joints and the all pipe structural tests needed before the
pipe laying on the seabed.

S-Lay Operation

J-Lay Operation
Tower

Stinger

Pipe

Pipe
Seabed

Seabed

During the S-lay operation the pipe leaves the

lay vessel supported by a curved launching ramp
(stinger). The pipe is constrained with the vessel
by the roller of the stinger and the tensioner
located on the firing line.

The pipe is assembled inside the vertical tower

and it leaves the lay vessel approximately
vertically. The pipe is constrained with the
vessel thanks to the tensioners placed inside
the tower after the welding station.

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

S-LAY INTRODUCTION
In the pipe-lay operations the station keeping and
move-up by Dynamic Positioning (DP) is a suitable
and proven alternative to the traditional mooring
spread.
The strong coupling between the vessel behavior and
pipe behavior leads to need to make an integrate
simulation to understand and predicts the operative
limits.
Pipe laying in DP shall target the integrity of the
pipeline, through the definition of the limits imposed
to the response of the lay vessel to impacting sea
state:

DP station keeping and pipeline pay-out control

capacity

The response of the pipeline to large offsets

The response of the lay vessel and pipe itself

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

FIPLA

WHY?

In order to fulfill the requirements imposed by

International Codes and Companys safety criteria
as well. FIPLA is a tool able to simulate in an
integrated way the vessel motions, the Dynamic
Positioning System performance and the structural
behavior of the submarine pipeline during
installation has been developed.

WHERE?

The simulation tool FIPLA is developed to simulate

the S-lay or J-lay scenario with a DP lay vessel.
The software was heavily used in the new vessel
CASTORONE during the start-up time and it is
currently used in different project in engineering
and operative phases.

FEATURES!

Time domain software.

FIPLA is based on aNySIM 10.4.6.
The FIPLA software has a pre-processing and postprocessing graphic interfaces and input check to
spot the user input errors.

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

FIPLA DESCRIPTION

PIPE LAY INTEGRATE SIMULATION FLOW CHART

Pipe &
Stinger &
Tensioner
Model

Vessel Position

[DLL]

Pipe Feed Forward

Pipe / Stinger
Forces [DLL]

Resultant
Thruster
Forces

Vessel

[SERIES]

Anysim
[SERIES]

Vessel Hydrodynamic
Database

[DLL]

Wave [Hs/Tp/Spreading/Heading]
Wind Velocity & Heading

(FORSIM) Wave Forces

[DLL]

DP
Simplified
Algorithm
Current Forces

[SERIES]

Other Forces

Measured Position

Wind Forces
(WINDSM)

Filtered Wind Forces

(Wind Feed Forward)

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

FIPLA DESCRIPTION

ANYSIM BLOCKS INTEGRATION

List of Anysim input fields:

Allocation
Ballast
Body
CatenaryB2B
Controller
Current
Environment
EquiPosition
Fender
General
Interaction
Joint
KalmanFilter
Line
Locacc
Locmot
Locvel
Modal [MARIN only - aNySTA input only]
Mooring
MooringPrepar [Validation Stage]
Morison [Validation Stage]
Output

Legend:
Propulsion

Used in FIPLA
Reldamp

Will be use in the future

Relmot
FIPLA version
Series
Stabbing cones
Stability
UserInterface [MARIN only]
Wave feed forward
Waves
Forsim is used
Wind
to allow short
crested waves

Winsm is used
instead to allow
wind feed
forward

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

FIPLA DESCRIPTION

PIPE & STINGER MODEL

N

Stinger Dynamic Program developed in the 70s

by Garrett (Shell), improved internally and
validated vs. Offpipe.

y
L

ST
WD

TDP

3D Finite Element Model

RST

Linear & non-linear elastic, torque free, beam

elements for pipeline
Equivalent or detailed S-Lay Stinger (rigid,
articulated, floating) / J-Lay Ramp model,
rigidly connected to vessel CoG.
Pipe connected with Stinger/Ramp through
rollers and tensioners/clamps
Loads acting on the pipeline
Vessel CoG motion (in time domain)
Wave loads
Current loads
Pipe-soil interaction at sea-bottom.

Static & time-domain dynamic analysis

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

FIPLA DESCRIPTION

TENSIONER MODEL
Three different tensioner / clamp
models
Blocked tensioner/clamp model
Hysteretic dead band model
Electric-controlled tensioner model
tensioner load

tensioner
stiffness
tensioner
set-point

pipe tensioner
relative motion

Blocked Tensioner model

tensioner load

tensioner
set -point

tensioner
deadband

pipe tensioner
relative motion

Hysteretic deadband model

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

10

FIPLA DESCRIPTION

DP SIMPLIFIED ALGORITHM

Made to have maximum flexibility to modify the algorithm according to the

different project requirements. Some features have been simplified with
respect to a complete DP system:
1. Simplified thruster allocation:

Thrusters grouped in equivalent (resultant) thrusters

2. Simplified Controller:

PD with static gains. Compensation of integrative parts by constant error

computed by the bias observer

3. Simplified Observer system

Implementation of a Non-linear Observer as opposite to an Extended Kalman

filter

The Simplified Algorithm validated vs. a complete DP kongsberg console

simulated with hardware in-the-loop technique with very satisfying results.
it has also been compared with the on-board measurements with good
results.

T1

T2x

THRUSTERS CONFIGURATION

Saipem in-house programming, representing a simplified DP Control System

installed on board Saipem vessels, prepared by Kongsberg.

T2y

x
y

T3x

T3y
T4x

T5
T4y

saipem

FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

11

FIPLA DESCRIPTION

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

12

CASE OF STUDY

S-LAY WITH DP SYSTEM

The software FIPLA has been used during

the start-up of new vessel Castorone.

JSM project (Jack-St. Malo Oil Export

Pipeline Project) is a pipeline located on the
Gulf of Mexico and it was the fist project
where the Castorone has been used.

ILS #1

ILS #2

The report of Station keeping performance

during
the
pipeline
installation
was
prepared by FIPLA with the aim to
anticipate the vessel behavior.

By the simulation has been examined two main aspects:

Performance of the vessel DP system with a focus
regarding the critical environment also during an
equipment failure
Critical aspects of the pipelay with a focus regarding
the pipe behavior and the stinger and roller stress.

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

13

CASE OF STUDY

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

14

CASE OF STUDY

STATION KEEPING RESULTS

KIND OF SIMULATION

Thruster Utilization Hs 2.0 - Tm ean (Vcurr 0.46 m/s)

The station keeping performance FIPLA results allows to

evaluate and predict the thruster utilization under defined
weather conditions.
Different weather conditions in order to have a complete view
of the possible environment scenarios have been analyzed .
Conditions of thrusters and other equipment under failure
state have been analyzed .

202.5

0.8

225.0

The results have been compared with the measurements coming

from the kongsberg DP system installed onboard with good
results.

135.0

0.4

247.5

112.5

0.2
270.0

90.0

292.5

67.5

315.0

45.0
337.5

0.0

22.5

Thruster Utilization Hs 3.0 - Tm ean (Vcurr 0.60 m/s)

202.5

180.01
157.5
0.8

225.0

RPM1
RPM2
RPM3
RPM6

135.0

0.6
0.4

247.5

VALIDATION OF THE RESULTS

RPM1
RPM2
RPM3
RPM6

0.6

USE OF THE RESULTS

All the simulation have been summarized by some rosettas.

This study has been allowed to predict the behavior of the
vessel and the operative DP limits.
The onboard DP operator has known the performance of the
vessel before the start of the operation that are used during
the project to take the operative choices.

180.01
157.5

112.5

0.2
270.0

90.0

292.5

67.5

315.0

45.0
337.5

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

0.0

22.5

15

CASE OF STUDY

PIPELAY RESULTS
MAIN PIPE PARAMETERS
Following are reported the parameters with a
significant
relevance
during
the
pipelay
operation:
Pipe configuration
Axial Tension
Bending Moment
Roller reactions
Pipe Fatigue

BENDING
MOMENT
ROLLER
REACTION

USE OF THE RESULTS

AXIAL
TENSION

The pipe results are used to understand the

critical aspects generated by the coupling of the
vessel motion with the pipe and stinger behavior
and vice versa.

VALIDATION OF THE RESULTS

The pipe integrate simulation results made by

FIPLA have been compared with an equivalent
scenario with the software OFFPIPE. The results
of the two software are similar and that has
been allowed the validation of software
regarding the pipe and stinger section.

BENDING
MOMENT

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

16

CASE OF STUDY

PIPELAY RESULTS
Weather Forecasting
MAIN PIPE PARAMETERS

Lay Rate

Following are reported the parameters with a

significant
relevance
during
the
pipelay
operation:
Pipe configuration
Axial Tension
Bending Moment
Roller reactions
Pipe Fatigue

USE OF THE RESULTS

The pipe results are used to understand the

critical aspects generated by the coupling of the
vessel motion with the pipe and stinger behavior
and vice versa.

VALIDATION OF THE RESULTS

The pipe integrate simulation results made by

FIPLA have been compared with an equivalent
scenario with the software OFFPIPE. The results
of the two software are similar and that has
been allowed the validation of software
regarding the pipe and stinger section.

Flexjoint

Transition
Joint

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

17

ISSUES

Direct Reading of the simulation variable from the DLL like Wind Speed and Direction.
Multi-slope description for a single mooring line.
Direct reading of .dwg file as presents in different mooring software (Gmoor).
Introduction of a buoyancy tank located from the water line and connects to the mooring
line with a wire.
Introduction multi directional wave model in the Anysim with .ini file input.
Introduction of sea-bed slope option in the Anysim with .xmf file input.

saipem
FIPLA
(anysim)
Fully Integrated PipeLaying Analysis Simulation Tool

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