Centrale Nantes 2016

Lab work in the wave basin: Seakeeping of a barge

Introduction

This laboratory work is conducted in the large oceanic wave basin at ECN to analyze the seakeeping
behavior of a scaled barge for waves at given heading. The chosen ship hull is that of a rectangular
barge. The model is described in more details in Appendix A. The wave generator of the wave basin
reproduces various environmental conditions which are typical of the barge mooring location. Your
target work is to obtain the response of the floater.

For each of the following points in part 1, we ask you to setup an experimental protocol that you
describe in the report, starting from measurement and up to discussion of the results, with the tools
described in part 3. The mooring consists of three catenary lines with two symmetrical front lines and
a back line, all three equiped with lump mass (3kg) at a distance of 4 m from the model. The dead
weights are arranged on a circle of 15.6 m radius, separated by 120 degrees.

1 Goals

Experiment setup Provide sketches/drawings of the experiments showing the mooring setup, the
lead weights arrangement in the model. . .

Response of the floater Determine the Response Amplitude Operator (RAO) of the buoy, for
amplitude (phase is optional), by means of the experimental setup at your disposal in the wave basin.
Use both regular and irregular waves and superimpose the corresponding results.

For irregular waves, use the expressions from the previous MATLAB lab work to estimate the
significant wave height and the peak period. Compare the values with the target specified to the
wavemaker.

Resonances
Tell which degrees of freedom show a resonance. Evaluate their resonance period and frequency.
Deduce the added inertia moment in pitch A55 or more likely A55 A251 /(m + A11 ).
Estimate the added mass in heave A33 as the mass of half a cylinder of water below the barge
bottom. Compute the corresponding heave natural period and try to locate it on the RAO.

Extrapolations to full scale

The model is the 40-scale model of a full scale barge used in offshore industry. Explain how to
extrapolate the RAOs at full scale ? Can we deploy this platform at a location where typical sea
state is given by Hs =3 m and Tp =12 s ?
Describe what we should expect for severe sea states (green water loading, parametric roll) ?
The maximum breaking load of the mooring lines is 8 MN at full scale. Extrapolate the maximum
mooring force measured during irregular waves at model scale and check mooring integrity.

1
Surge Run a combined pull test and decay test (start the recording, slowly pull the red extra back-
line (10, 15, 20, 25 and 35 cm with pauses : this is the pull test) and finally let this line free (decay
test)). Describe what you observe. From the pull test, deduce the model mooring surge stiffness Km11 .
Is it coherent with the individual line stiffness k given in Appendix B ? From the decay test, deduce
the natural period in surge. Using the natural surge period expression, estimate the added mass in
surge A11 .

2 Standard design

The lab work experiments are made here to get familiar with hydrodynamic concepts such as added
mass, resonance. . .

In a standard design process, the added mass and natural periods of the resonant dofs would
be computed by potential flow numerical models such as Nemoh, Hydrostar, Diodore. The mooring
stiffness would be determined by quasi-static analysis for instance.

In such a process, the experiments would provide detailed studies at the resonance where damping is
poorly treated in numerical models. The experimental tests are analysed to provide empirical damping
coefficients that are used in subsequent numerical computations. The experiments may also serve
to investigate survivability in extreme conditions, in which nonlinear effects are strong and linear
numerical models inappropriate.

3 Toolbox

In this practical training, the following tools are at your disposal, as well as the wave basin and
the measurement and logging devices.

3.1 Measurement devices

Mooring load The portboard and the back mooring lines are equipped with load cells. The force
signal F is conditioned into a voltage U with a linear relation F = bU where b is the calibration
coefficient. The second load cell in back line is used during the pull test. The value of the calibration
coefficient is b = 25.7 N/V for both sensors.

Wave elevation We use one resistive wave gauge. The output voltage (between -10V and +10V)
is linked to the wave elevation. The correct expression of the wave elevation is = a(U U0 ) where
is the wave elevation, U0 is the offset voltage and a is the calibration coefficient of the probe. The
value of the offset is obtained with the offset process before each run (see section 3.3). The value of
the calibration coefficient is a = 45.0 mm/V.

Position of the buoy The buoy is mounted with passive markers (spherical targets) which reflect
IR light. The markers are filmed by IR cameras whose images are further processed by a software
developed by Qualisys. This software estimates the position of the center of gravity of the buoy and
its orientation that are stored in a file in mm and degrees respectively. Appendix C gives the definition
of the reference frame.

2
3.2 Wave generation

The wavemaker is driven via a software edited by Edimburgh Design Ltd. During this labwork, all
the waves are pre-defined in binary files to be open with the user interface.

Regular waves are generated by sine motion of the paddles with periods T between 0.9 s and 2.8
s. You need to choose first the steepness (2 or 3 %), defined as the ratio of the wave height H (twice
the wave amplitude a, i.e. H = 2a) divided by the wavelength. An approximation of the wavelength
for infinite depth is = 1.56T 2 where T = 1/f is the wave period.

Irregular waves are generated by superposition of hundreds of components with random phases.
Average wave steepness is given by Hs /p . Values from 0.01 (operational condition) to 0.37 (extreme
condition) can be used.

3.3 Data logging and signal processing

Analog data logging Analog data is recorded at a 60 Hz sampling frequency with the Logger
program developed in the department with the LabView software. Each run is divided in two steps,
first a measure of the offset values of the transducers (voltage at rest) and second the test itself.
The second step is synchronized with the wavemaker so that your measurements can serve later as
benchmark data for numerical models. For each run, the two steps described previously are stored in
the same file that is later analyzed with MATLAB.

Ship motion The Qualisys motion tracking software produces a MATLAB binary file containing
the translations and rotations of the ship recorded at 60 Hz. This file is synchronized with the start
of the wavemaker.

Signal processing A code written in MATLAB is provided to you to read the data files (one
for wave data and one for motion data), plot the voltages, convert to physical values and plot and
finally carry out a frequency analysis. You will use the program to select a correct time window, free
of reflection from the beach or from the sidewalls. The program then is able to carry out a frequency
analysis on this window.

A Description of the barge model

The barge dimensions are 1.5 m length, 0.6 m beam, 0.3 m height. The hull is made of PROLAB
foam with a wooden floor, a plexiglas bridge and an inner aluminium frame. The total hull weighs 60
kg. The model is weighted with leads to reach a draught of T = 0.17 m. The wooden floor holds the
four lead weights (230 kg + 28 kg). The exterior leads (30 kg each) are located each at d = 0.6 m
from midship ; the interior weights 0.1 m aside.

The center of gravity G of the barge is located at a distance d = 53 mm below the geometrical
center Ob of the barge.

The weight list is the following, where the inertia are given with respect to the horizontal y axis
(the reference point is given in the last column)

3
 Element Mass in kg Inertia in kg/m2 Reference point
Hull 60 13 Ob
Exterior Leads 30 each 0.11 Weights CoG
Interior Leads 16 0.16 Ob

You will have to transport the above inertia at the center of gravity by means of Huyghens theorem
IG = IOb + mGOb2 .

B Mooring lines
The three catenary lines are identical. They consist of 16.5 m long chains with long link and 3 mm
diameter wire. The wet weight is 0.16 kg/m. The fair leads are located near the bridge. On each line,
a 3 kg lump mass is added at a distance of 4 m from the fairlead. At the bottom end, the lines are
fixed to dead weights whose positions are on a 15.6 radius circle, centered below the model CoG.

C Motion tracking system

The video tracking software Qualisys processes the images, estimates the buoy position and orien-
tation and outputs the results in a MATLAB binary .mat file. Positions are expressed in the basin
frame of reference, defined by
xaxis : longitudinal main axis of the basin directed towards the beach,
zaxis : upward looking vertical axis
origin O is located at the free surface at rest, at 15 m from the wavemaker and in the middle
between the two sidewalls.

D Response in irregular waves

For irregular waves, the MATLAB program estimates the following spectral variables
wave spectrum Scc (f ),
force and motion spectra Smm (f ) where m means port-line mooring force, surge, sway, heave,
roll, pitch and yaw,
cross-spectra between wave elevation and any other signal Smc (f ),
coherence s
|Smc (f )|2
Cm (f ) =
Scc (f )Smm (f )
response amplitude operator
s
Smm (f ) i arg Smc (f )
RAOm (f ) = e
Scc (f )

E Seakeeping
Starting from buoy dimensions , obtain the waterplane area Aw and deduce the heave hydrostatic
stiffness given by expression Kh33 = gAw .
r
m + A33
The heave natural period is given by T3 = 2 where A33 is the added mass in heave.
Kh33

4
 Using the weight list , determine the center of gravity position zG , the buoyancy center position
zB , the immersed volume V and the quadratic moment of the waterplane area Iwy = BL3 /12 (Iwx =
LB 3 /12). The hydrostatic stiffness in pitch may be deduced from expression Kh55 = g[V (zB zG ) +
Iwy ]. The pitch (roll) natural period is given by
s
Iy + A55 A251 /(m + A11 )
T5 = 2 .
Kh55

For surge motion, the stiffness comes from the mooring only (no hydrostatic stiffness). The surge
natural angular frequency is then r
m + A11
T1 = 2
Km11
where A11 is the surge added mass and Km11 the surge mooring stiffness.