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Physical simulation of the response of the Enserch Garden Banks 388 FPF/free standing rigid riser to wind, waves, and current

Conference ·
OSTI ID:160721
This paper describes large scale hydrodynamic model tests of the Enserch Exploration Garden Banks 388 Floating Production Facility (FPF). This unique facility consists of a semi-submersible connected to a template on the sea floor 2,096 feet below the surface through a buoyant, free standing ``rigid`` riser. The top of the riser and its manifold are located well below the surface to minimize the forces exerted on the riser by waves. Numerous flexible conductors connect the semi-submersible to the manifold on the top of the riser. The emphasis of the model test program was to confirm the estimates of: The structural response of the buoyant, rigid production riser and an adjacent drilling riser; The relative displacements between the semisubmersible and the production riser; The relative displacements between the production riser and drilling riser; and The forces which must be endured by the tensioners and flexible hoses which join the semi-submersible to the production riser. The paper describes the planning and preparation of the model components, the unique aspects of the simulation of the environments and the structural properties of the models, the execution of the experiments and the handling of the large number of measurements necessary to characterize the response of the multi-component system. Finally, the data analysis tools which were employed to provide an understanding of the responses of the system are discussed. 22 figs., 1 tab.
OSTI ID:
160721
Report Number(s):
CONF-950501--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English