Wind-Induced Response of Tension Leg Platform: Theory and Experiment

Abstract

The effects of wind and wave loads on the response of tension leg platforms have been studied extensively over the past decade; however, this study represents the first attempt to compare the response predictions to a model study of a tension leg platform performed in a properly scaled wind/wave environment. Experimental results and numerical simulations were in agreement. The paper discusses some of the difficulties encountered in combined wind/wave testing. The numerical models include first- and second-order wave loads and the simultaneous action of dynamic wind loads. The effect of wind on the surge response of the platform was strongly dependent on the existing waves. The wind-induced response tends to dominate the overall surge response in cases where the overwater fetch is small (i.e., small waves) and the wind is strong; however, for large waves, the reverse is true. The inclusion of wind forces significantly increased the heave response of the tension leg platform.