Ice Loading Decrease at Life Cycle Main Stages for Fixed Offshore Structures

Author(s):  
Valery M. Shaposhnikov ◽  
Anatolii V. Aleksandrov ◽  
Oleg E. Litonov ◽  
Viktor V. Platonov

At the present time design values of ice loads on fixed offshore structures are rather conservative. Conservatism of design ice loads consists in assuming the most unfavorable ice action direction and the worst ice drift speed; the most unfavorable combination of the consolidated layer thickness, ridge keel depth and ice strength; as well as supposing the ice ultimate strength value constant along the whole ice–structure contact area perimeter. With accumulation of the knowledge on ice formation failure under interaction with ice-resistant fixed platforms, the requirements contained in Rules of classification societies are reduced. For example, for the last forty years the lowering of requirements to design ice load values was equal to about four times [1]. For the last time specialists of Krylov State Research Centre have performed design and experimental studies where further tendency to decreasing design values of ice loads is traced. Ice monitoring is one of the main elements for justification of design ice load values’ decrease. Modern monitoring systems permit to warn about occurrence of a state close to a limit one, as well as to record actual ice loads. Ice load monitoring is a necessary part of accident prevention during ice-resistant structures operation. Monitoring of ice loads is a necessary part for providing safe operation of ice-resistance structures, and systematic accumulation of monitoring data for several years gives a positive effect in the form of justified decrease of static and dynamic design ice loads.

Author(s):  
Håvard Nyseth ◽  
Anders Hansson ◽  
Johan Johansson Iseskär

In connection with the Statoil SKT project, DNV GL have developed a method for estimating ice loads on the ship hull structure and mooring tension of the anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel Magne Viking by full scale measurements. In March 2017, the vessel was equipped with an extensive measurement system as a preparation for the dedicated station-keeping trial in drifting ice in the Bay of Bothnia. Data of the ice impacts acting on the hull were collected over the days of testing together with several other parameters from the ship propulsion system. Whilst moored, the tension in the mooring chain was monitored via a load cell and logged simultaneously to the other parameters. This paper presents the processes involved in developing the measurement concept, including the actual installation and execution phases. The basic philosophy behind the system is described, including the methods used to design an effective measurement arrangement, and develop procedures for estimation of ice loads based on strain measurements. The actual installation and the process of obtaining the recorded data sets are also discussed.


Author(s):  
X. Wu ◽  
A. T. Wang ◽  
C. E. Heuer ◽  
T. D. Ralston ◽  
G. F. Davenport ◽  
...  

This paper describes a reliability-based methodology that has been developed at ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company (URC) for determining rational design ice loads on offshore structures. The URC methodology provides a systematic framework to account for Type I (aleatory) and Type II (epistemic) uncertainties in assessing global probabilistic ice hazards. Specifically, a logic-tree based approach is developed to model Type II uncertainties in the assessment of ice hazards. Although the method has general applicability, the present work considers a wide, vertical-sided, gravity-based structure (GBS) in a dynamic, annual ice environment. Both FORM/SORM methods and Monte Carlo simulation are used in the analyses. Results obtained from this reliability-based approach indicate that the modeling of Type II uncertainties plays a significant role in quantifying the ice hazards for determining the design ice load. Further, this effort may potentially reduce over-conservatism in typical deterministic ice load calculations. The probabilistic methodology developed in this study has broad applicability and can provide a rational framework for calculating design ice loads on other types of structures for arctic offshore development.


Author(s):  
Jan Thijssen ◽  
Mark Fuglem

Offshore structures designed for operation in regions where sea ice is present will include a sea ice load component in their environmental loading assessment. Typically ice loads of interest are for 10−2, 10−3 or 10−4 annual probability of exceedance (APE) levels, with appropriate factoring to the required safety level. The ISO 19906 standard recommends methods to determine global sea ice loads on vertical structures, where crushing is the predominant failure mode. Fitted coefficients are proposed for both Arctic and Sub-Arctic (e.g. Baltic) conditions. With the extreme ice thickness expected at the site of interest, an annual global sea ice load can be derived deterministically. Although the simplicity of the proposed relation provides quick design load estimates, it lacks accuracy because the only dependencies are structure width, ice thickness and provided coefficients; no consideration is given to site-specific sea ice conditions and the corresponding exposure. Additionally, no term is provided for including ice management in the design load basis. This paper presents a probabilistic methodology to modify the deterministic ISO 19906 relations for determining global and local first-year sea ice loads on vertical structures. The presented methodology is based on the same ice pressure data as presented in ISO 19906, but accounts better for the influence of ice exposure, ice management and site-specific sea ice data. This is especially beneficial for ice load analyses of seasonal operations where exposure to sea ice is limited, and only thinner ice is encountered. Sea ice chart data can provide site-specific model inputs such as ice thickness estimates and partial concentrations, from which corresponding global load exceedance curves are generated. Example scenarios show dependencies of design loads on season length, structural geometry and sea ice conditions. Example results are also provided, showing dependency of design loads on the number of operation days after freeze-up, providing useful information for extending the drilling season of MODUs after freeze-up occurs.


Author(s):  
Evgeny Karulin ◽  
Marina Karulina

A usage of multi-legged structures in ice conditions involves some peculiarities that should be taken into account both while designing the platform and while planning technological operations nearby it. In 2010–2013 a range of theoretical and experimental studies were performed at the Krylov State Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia. The work aimed to investigate main peculiarities of multi-legged structure interaction with ice, such as 1). mutual influence on ice action on each leg, 2) jamming of the inner space between legs and blocking the space between the front legs with ice floes, and 3) arisen yaw moments about the platform vertical axis due to unsymmetrical ice action on the legs. Three series of model tests with various multi-legged structures models were carried out in the Ice Basin. The presented in the paper main results show effect of key parameters on the interaction processes and on the ice action. During the tests the following parameters were varying: distance between the legs, ice drift speed and direction, broken ice concentration and the ice pieces size. Also, the paper contains results of numerical simulations of some tested scenarios in broken ice conditions. The numerical model is based on discrete element method, and it enables to extend a range of the investigations.


Author(s):  
Leon Kellner ◽  
Hauke Herrnring ◽  
Michael Ring

Sea ice can interact with offshore structures in regions with at least seasonal ice coverage. Therefore the prediction of ice loads on offshore structures is required by many standards or classification rules and guidelines. In order to do this, empirical formulas are often prescribed. These are based on assumptions in combination with model or full scale tests. Yet there are very few publications where the results of the formulas are actually compared to measurements. A case study is made for ice loads on the Norströmsgrund lighthouse. First of all current empirical formulas given by standards bodies or classification societies are reviewed with focus on applicability. Secondly, the ice loads predicted by the empirical formulas are compared to measurements. It was found that for the given case most methods significantly overestimate the load. The applicability of some methods is disputable.


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. V. Maksimova ◽  
A. V. Chernov ◽  
V. A. Likhomanov ◽  
N. A. Krupina ◽  
V. A. Likhomanov

At present, oil-producing offshore structures, as well as transport vessels transporting oil products extracted in the seas of the Russian Arctic are equipped with ice load monitoring systems (ILMS) to prevent environmental disasters. The ice-resistant self-propelled platform (IRSPP) that is under construction now, according to the design should be equipped with this system. First of all this system is the main system for ensuring the platform’s safety in ice conditions, and secondly makes the platform’s hull a unique tool for solving a wide range of tasks to study the effects of ice on any construction.The main goal of the research during the expedition “Transarktika-2019” was to obtain the necessary data for the development of an ice load monitoring system of the constructing IRSPP “North Pole” and testing the prototype of the ILMS at long vessel’s drift in ice.The measurements of stresses in the hull structures of the R/V “Akademik Tryoshnikov” were carried out during impacts on ice ridges and during ice compressions.The standard ship ice load monitoring system (SILMS) of the R/V “Akademik Tryoshnikov” and strain gauges additionally installed on the frames and a shell plating in the middle part of the hull were used to perform the measurements.The analysis of the obtained data showed that the maximal loads on the hull occurred during the forcing of ice ridges but the level of maximum stresses was not a danger to the hull.Compressions during the drift did not have a strong effect on the ship’s hull. The data obtained made it possible to identify a number of features for the operation of ILMS in similar conditions.Based on the results of the expedition research, recommendations for the design of the architecture of the ILMS for IRSPP were issued. The results of further analysis of the obtained materials will be used in the development of data processing algorithms for ILMS for IRSPP, as well as for the development of the prospective programs of scientific research of deformation, fracture and other processes of various scales that occur in drifting ice during the future drifts of the IRSPP “North Pole”.The authors have no competing interests.


Author(s):  
Liu Luping ◽  
Li Xin ◽  
Wu Xiao ◽  
Wu Bo

Abstract As development of the Arctic grows in intensity, semi-submersible platforms are one of promising type of offshore structures used for arctic oil exploitation. Generally a good ice management is equipped by a moored floating platform to reduce ice loads to manageable levels, thus the most common scenario for a polar operating semi-submersible platform is pack ice conditions. The resistance test of a 4-columns structure is performed in a normal towing tank in China using synthetic non-refrigerated material with similar density to model sea ice. Three component load cells on top of each column and a batch of single component load cells embedded in the surface of the columns near the waterline are used to measure indirect and direct ice loads on the structures. The effects of a series of parameters such as column shapes, orientations, column spacing ratios, ice floe shapes, ice drift speeds and ice concentrations are analyzed.


Author(s):  
Peter Jochmann ◽  
Karl-Ulrich Evers ◽  
Walter L. Kuehnlein

The drilling rig Sunkar, owned and operated by Parker Drilling under contract to Agip KCO, was the first drilling rig in the North Caspian Sea. In this area sea ice may occur between November and April. The original ice protection concept of the drilling rig was based on the fact that ice loads were partly taken and/or reduced by two rows of heavy piles. As an alternative concept ice model tests for Sunkar with installed ice barriers (Ice Rubble Generators) around the rig were carried out in the Large Ice Model Basin of HSVA in order to establish the design ice loads and to prove that the design forces can be reduced significantly by using these ice barriers. The test series were carried out in 1.3 m thick level ice with a bending strength of 770 kPa. Ice drift angle, ice drift speed, spacing between the ice barriers, as well as the angle of the ice barriers were varied. The design water level simulated in the model tests was about 4 m. As maximum measured ice load values are a result of coincidental ice failure occurrences these values are much more scattered than the mean values of ice model tests. Even if an individual model test could be repeated exactly, i.e. exactly within measurable limits, the maximum load would be different. Therefore the design load needs to be obtained by using a sophisticated statistical approach. To establish the design load an extreme value distribution, a Gumbel-Probability-Distribution (GPD) for each individual model run has been applied. The ice model tests have shown that a significant ice force reduction can be achieved if the drilling rig Sunkar is protected with ice barriers. The reduction of the maximum horizontal global ice load amounts to approx. 63% when Sunkar is protected by ice barriers. The ice barriers initiate ice rubble and areas of rafted ice as well as ice accumulation between the barriers, which lead to ice bridging with a spacing of 60 to 80 m between the ice barriers. As a final result it was found that the stability of Sunkar will be sufficient under any angle of drifting ice if ice barriers are installed.


Author(s):  
Gesa Ziemer ◽  
Karl-Ulrich Evers ◽  
Christian Voosen

Model tests in ice have been conducted at the Large Ice Basin of HSVA with cylindrical and conical, compliant structures exposed to drifting level ice to investigate the influence of slope and compliance on the ice load and its breaking frequency. Main goal of the test campaign was to study the importance of structural feedback during ice-cone interaction. This is a major issue e.g. for numerical simulation of offshore structures during design phase. Four shapes were tested: 50°, 60°, 80° and 90° slope angle. The cylinder was tested in order to define the worst case scenario regarding magnitude of ice load and severity of ice-induced vibrations. Stiffness and natural frequency of the structure were chosen similar to typical values for offshore wind turbine support structures. All shapes were tested both in a compliant and fixed configuration. The breaking frequency was found to be more pronounced for the lower slope angles where the ice failed in flexural failure only, while a transition to crushing failure as observed on a cylindrical structure takes place at 80° cone angle already. This results in significantly higher ice loads on the 80° cone than on those with lower angles, but a reduced risk of severe ice-structure interaction due to the unsteady nature of the mixed mode breaking process. Although the breaking frequency is rather constant e.g. during ice impact on the 60° cone, it was not possible during the model tests to match the ice drift speed and the dynamics of the structure in a way that causes resonance. However, model test results prove that there is a risk of conical structures with low natural frequencies and low stiffness in ice plane being excited by periodic ice failure in their natural frequency, thus response amplification may take place and pose a risk to the structural integrity of conical offshore structures exposed to sea ice. This paper presents the model test setup, analysis of the results, and general findings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-100
Author(s):  
A.A. Dobrodeev ◽  
◽  
K.E. Sazonov ◽  

he authors present the results of experimental studies of ice interaction with models of extended hydraulic constructions with a sloping wall carried out in the laboratory “Ice tank” of Krylov State Research Centre. The researchers analyze the possibilities of applying the method of physical modeling to investigate the processes of ice-structure interaction using ice tank. The results make it possible to recommend the method of physical modeling as one of the main approaches for studying the interaction of hydro-technical installations with ice. The data of the model experiment can be used to construct mathematical models of ice breaking mechanism, as well as to clarify the requirements of ragulatory documents.


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