Offshore research aids
future design
Offshore research is an important
part of MARIN’s work and several
Design for operational conditions
developments outlined here are
helping improve future design.
The main goal of MARIN’s offshore research
concerns the prediction of loads, and the response
of floating structures in wind, waves and current
- with or without active moorings. This plays
an important role in future design strategies for
offshore structures, with respect to both safety
(the ability to operate in extreme conditions) and
operational conditions. Special focus is placed on
the accurate simulation and analysis of extreme
environmental conditions in the model basins.
Design for extreme conditions
A study on the design of protection barriers on
FPSOs and wave impact focused on the experi-
mental and numerical study of non-linear waves
breaking over the bow.
A concerted effort by MARIN and the Rijks
University Groningen has led to the development
of a volume of fluid solver with special applicati-
on to the green water loading problem on FPSOs.
This volume of fluid methodology for green water
Accurate simulation of extreme
environmental conditions.
loading is validated as part of the Joint Industry René Huijsmans
Project (JIP) SAFE-FLOW. R.H.M.Huijsmans@marin.nl
The assessment of the operability of tandem
or side-by-side moored vessels requires in-depth
knowledge of the interaction effects of the moor-
ed vessels. The linear frequency domain diffraction
program, DIFFRAC, has been enhanced to accu-
rately compute the wave diffraction effects around
multiple moored vessels. Also wind and current
interaction effects are taken into account based on
results of wind tunnel experiments. Special atten-
tion is devoted to the hydrodynamics of vibrating
risers in a deep water environment.
The complete and exact numerical solution of the
3-D Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) problem
is still not within practical reach in day-to-day
design practice. Therefore, there is still a need for
reliable drag and lift data for vibrating cylinders.
Most of the known data in literature concern low
Reynolds number data. Research into VIV focused
on the determination of the fluid loading at high
Reynolds numbers.
Interaction effects between risers have been stu-
died at high Reynolds numbers. These research
activities are executed as a joint effort in the
VIVARRAY and DEEPSTAR JIPs.
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 Decent
Accurate simulation
Emphasis on the accurate modelling of extreme The latest FPSO JIP Week, held in Wageningen,
environmental conditions is driven by the need
to investigate the extreme behaviour of a floating home of MARIN, again provided an excel-
structure in severe seas. To this end the temporal
and spatial evolution of extreme waves needs to
lent platform for exchanging expert industry
be controlled accurately using advanced wave flap
knowledge and for discussing recent develop-
control in the model test basin. New analysis
methods have also recently been developed based ments in industry. In addition, proving that it
on finite element (FEM) techniques to model
extreme wave events in the model basin. is not just a talking shop, four new joint indu-
stry proposals were brought to the table.

Providing a platform for like-minded people

involved in FPSO development and research pro-
jects, the Week was created when in 1998, the
28 participating companies in the Joint Industry
Projects FPSO Integrity (MARIN) and FPSO
Capacity (DNV) decided to combine their pro-
gress meetings into the FPSO JIP Week. In the
meantime, new projects such as SAFEFLO, DPJIP
and ONSTREAM have come onboard.
The 7th FPSO JIP Week, organized by MARIN
and taking place from April 9 - 12, proved that
there is a growing interest in a permanent dis-
cussion platform where views can be exchanged
over the latest FPSO developments. This year the
week combined the progress meetings of five JIPs,
as well as the FPSO Research Forum.

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