OPTIMIZATION OF DYNAMIC PARAMETERS FOR STABILITY OF DOUBLE-PONTOON TENSION LEG PLATFORMS
Keywords:
Tension Leg Platform, Double Pontoon, Spring Stiffness, Dynamic Response, Wave-Induced MotionAbstract
Tension Leg Platforms (TLPs) are compliant offshore structures widely used for deep-water resource extraction due to their high stability. However, extreme wave conditions can still induce significant oscillations. This study proposes a double-pontoon configuration, in which a secondary pontoon is flexibly connected to the main pontoon via springs. The system is modeled as a two-degree-of-freedom oscillator, and key dynamic parameters—pontoon mass distribution and spring stiffness—are optimized through numerical analysis. Laboratory-scale experiments are conducted to validate the analytical predictions. Results show that the double-pontoon arrangement effectively reduces the motion amplitude of the main pontoon by distributing wave-induced energy between the pontoons. Spring stiffness is found to be directly proportional to the main pontoon’s amplitude, while variations in secondary pontoon mass cause only minor fluctuations in its response. Compared to a single-pontoon TLP, the proposed configuration achieves lower primary pontoon amplitudes under equivalent wave loading.
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