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The quantity and location of offshore platforms are of great significance for marine oil spill monitoring and offshore oil-gas development. In the past, multiphase medium- and low-resolution optical or radar images have been used to remove the interference of ship targets based on the static position of a platform to extract the offshore platform, resulting in large demands and high image data costs. According to the difference in shape between offshore platforms (not elongated) and ships (elongated shapes) in SAR (synthetic aperture radar) images, this paper proposes an automatic extraction method for offshore platforms in single SAR images based on a dual-step-modified model. First, the two-parameter CFAR (constant false alarm rate) algorithm was used to detect the possible offshore platform targets; then, the Hough transform was introduced to detect and eliminate ship targets with linear structures. Finally, the final offshore platform was obtained. Experiments were carried out in four study areas in the Beibu Gulf basin and the Pearl River estuary basin in the northern South China Sea. The results show that the method has a good extraction effect in the above research area, and the extraction accuracy rate of offshore platforms is 86.75%. A single SAR image can obtain satisfactory extraction results, which greatly saves on image data cost.

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The purpose of the present paper is to develop a simple methodology for seismic life cycle cost (LCC) estimation for a steel jacket offshore platform structure. This methodology accounts for accuracy of LCC modelling as well as simplicity of application. Accuracy is maintained through incorporating the effect of aleatory and epistemic uncertainties in the LCC estimation framework. Simplicity is achieved by using equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (ESDOF) system instead of the full structure and by eliminating full incremental dynamic analysis and fragility analysis. Instead, an approximate fragility curve and a localised incremental dynamic analysis curve are used along with a probabilistic simple closed-form solution for loss estimation. In the design of model structures, different bracing systems are used for the seismic design of the offshore platform, such as conventional and buckling-restrained braces. The proposed LCC methodology is validated through comparison with the results from a more rigorous method. It is found that even though the proposed methodology results in a slightly different solution compared to the reference method, the method can be used as an efficient tool for preliminary LCC evaluation of structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, natural load excitation cannot detect all modal problems when testing vibration responses of offshore platforms. To overcome this issue, the present paper proposes a novel method to detect structural damages of offshore platforms based on grouping modal strain energy. This method divides the unit modal strain energy into axial tension-compression and bending. It may not only expand known modals and overcome the incomplete modal parameters under natural load excitation, but also could estimate the damage locations based on low-order modal parameters. The proposed method was verified by numerical simulations. Based on simulations on different damage conditions of a jacket offshore platform, damage locations could be determined accurately through comprehensive analysis of grouping modal strain energy distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Architecture & Civil Engineering is the property of Chang'an Daxue Zazhishe and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We study a delayed fuzzy $H_{\infty }$ control problem for an offshore platform under external wave forces. First, by considering perturbations of the masses of the platform and an active mass damper, a Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model is established. Then, by introducing time delays into the control channel, a delayed fuzzy state feedback $H_{\infty }$ controller is designed. Simulation results show that the delayed fuzzy state feedback $H_{\infty }$ controller can reduce vibration amplitudes of the offshore platform and can save control cost significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural intensity approach is introduced to study the crack detection for offshore platform in the paper. The Line Spring Model (LSM) of surface crack is proposed based on plate crack structure, and thus the relationship between the additional angle, displacement and crack relative depth is achieved. Besides, the concept of appended structure-borne sound intensity is introduced. The expression of appended structural intensity for crack damage is derived. By observing the input energy, distribution, transmission and vibration performance of structure intensity, evidence is provided for detection of crack location. Vibration analysis is conducted on the whole platform under multi environment load. Using the structural intensity approach, the crack is detected on the key point easily. Moreover, the K-shape welded pipe point is detected using structural intensity approach, and the crack can be detected accurately. Therefore, development structural intensity approach would be extremely useful to spread out technologies that can be applied for offshore platform crack detection accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herrn Univ. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Hanswille zur Vollendung seines 65. Lebensjahres gewidmet Grout-Verbindungen sind ein häufig eingesetztes Konstruktionsdetail in Offshore-Windenergieanlagen und -Plattformen. Sie stellen eine lastabtragende Verbindung zwischen gerammten Pfählen und Tragstruktur her. Bei aufgelösten Unterstrukturen befindet sich diese Verbindung üblicherweise unter Wasser. Ein möglicher Wassereinfluss auf das Ermüdungsverhalten des Konstruktionsdetails wurde in früheren Versuchen und den daraus abgeleiteten Bemessungsverfahren nicht berücksichtigt. Die in dieser Veröffentlichung beschriebenen versuchsgestützten Untersuchungen zeigen an klein- und großskaligen Versuchskörpern eine deutliche Reduktion der Lebensdauer bei Ermüdungsbeanspruchung unter Wasser gegenüber trockenen Umgebungsbedingungen. Neben einer Beeinflussung der Lebensdauer verändert das umgebende Wasser auftretende Schadensmechanismen in der Verbindung. On the fatigue behaviour of grouted connections at varied ambient conditions. Grouted connections are a frequently used structural detail of offshore wind turbines and platforms for the load transferring connection between piles and support structure. At latticed substructures this connection is commonly located at mudline. However, a potential influence of the surrounding water on the connection's fatigue behaviour was neglected in earlier tests and consequential design methods. Herein described experimental investigations at small and large-scale fatigue tests in submerged conditions, showed a significant reduction of endurable load cycles. In addition, the water impact caused varied damage mechanism in the connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall objective of this study was to develop a biological early warning system (Mosselmonitor®) on offshore platform to detect critical environmental situations. The experiment was conducted on oil off-shore platform called Rospo Mare B. This structure is located in the area in front of Molise coast line (Italy, Adriatic Sea), characterized by a depth of about 77 m and a bathymetry between 65 and 80 m. The Mosselmonitor® works with eight mussels connected via specific sensors to PC for recording opening values of valves. A probe was installed inside the instrument to daily control of water pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity and temperature. Water samples are weekly analyzed for heavy metals, organochlorine pesticide and suspended matter. During the entire observation period, closure alarms were predominantly detected (99.9%) and a decrease of 65% in alarms maximum duration was recorded from the fifth week. During the first month, none changes in water physicochemical parameters were observed so that affect the bivalves behavior. The only chemical parameter steadily detected in water was copper; its average concentrations were of 10 ppb. Detected alarms were not comparable to those recorded in the first month: this observation could be explained considering that mussels will be adapted to copper constant presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among offshore platform structures, multi-planar tubular joints are usually in the most dangerous positions and generate fatigue cracks the earliest. In this study, DX-joints were regarded as the research object, and finite element method was adopted to conduct systematic research on the fatigue properties of multi-planar tubular joint welds. Axial, in-plane bending moment, and out-of-plane bending moment loads were applied to explore the stress distribution along the weld path and the hotspot location under different load conditions. Results indicated that the hotspot stress (HSS) location of DX-joints changed with the variation in the combined stress ratio. Through HSS analysis, cracks were prefabricated at the hotspot location of DX-joints to analyze the change rule of the stress intensity factor (SIF). The influence of different loads, crack lengths, and crack depths on SIF was studied to estimate the growth trend of the weld crack and its dominance. The findings can provide theoretical guidance for fatigue damage and safety assessment of offshore platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prototype monitoring techniques play an important role in the safety guarantee of mooring systems in marine engineering. In general, the complexities of harsh ocean environmental conditions bring difficulties to the traditional monitoring methods of application, implementation and maintenance. Large amounts of existing mooring systems still lack valid monitoring strategies. In this paper, an underwater monitoring method which may be used to achieve the mechanical responses of a multi-point catenary mooring system, is present. A novel self-contained assembled water depth-inclination (D-I) sensor is designed and manufactured. Several advanced technologies, such as standalone, low power consumption and synchronism, are considered to satisfy the long-term implementation requirements with low cost during the design process. The design scheme of the water resistance barrel and installation clamp, which satisfies the diver installation, are also provided in the paper. An on-site test has previously been carried out on a production semisubmersible platform in the South China Sea. The prototype data analyses, including the D-I value in the time domain (including the data recorded during the mooring retraction and release process) and spectral characteristics, are presented to reveal the accuracy, feasibility and stability of the sensor in terms of fitting for the prototype monitoring of catenary mooring systems, especially for in-service aging platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration reduction device for the offshore platform truss structure has exposed to long term high-energy ultraviolet light and salt spray radiation, the traditional viscoelastic damping technology is easy to aging and failure, and its operational lifetime is limited. The semi‑active particle damping technology has the advantages of high temperature resistance, anti‑aging and so on, at the same time it is also able to adapt the changes of external complex load. The coupling simulation algorithm was used in this paper to study on vibration reduction performance of semi-active particle damping technology for the offshore platform truss structure. The control strategy, simulation algorithm and key parameters of semi-active particle damping are investigated to analyze the vibration reduction effect of the offshore platform truss structure with semi‑active particle damper. The results have shown that the semi-active particle damping has a better effect of vibration reduction compared with the passive particle damping. In addition, the control strategy in different frequency bands has different vibration reduction effects to the system; and the simulation has a good agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a new technology about a rod pumping in the offshore platform according to the demand of offshore heavy oil thermal recovery and the production of stripper well, analyzes the research status of hydraulic pumping unit at home and abroad, and designs a new kind of miniature hydraulic pumping unit with long-stroke, low pumping speed and compact structure to resolve the problem of space limitation. The article also describes the whole structure and the working principle of this pumping unit, determines the choice of stroke and rate of the pumping unit, and establishes mathematical models based on the polished rod loads. A new composite hydraulic cylinder with a special structure was designed by combining the hydraulic cylinder with the energy accumulator. This composite hydraulic cylinder is applied on land, and the model prototype runs smoothly, which indicates that the whole structure design of the pumping unit is reasonable and the control strategy is correct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Oil Drilling & Production Technology / Shiyou Zuancai Gongyi is the property of Shiyou Zuancai Gongyi Bianjibu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Quasi static push-over analysis is widely utilized to evaluate nonlinear behavior and ultimate capacity of offshore platforms against environmental wave loading. In reality the forces imparted by the waves traversing the structure, are dynamic loads. If these lateral dynamic loads are to be used in push over analysis, they can provide a more precise estimation of the maximum load that can be resisted by the structure compared to the value derived using quasi static approach. Other parameters that have effect on determination of the ultimate capacity of platforms are the platform structural configuration and its supporting conditions. In this paper, a comprehensive technique within a dynamic push-over analysis for jacket offshore platforms is provided. In the analyses performed herein, the ultimate capacity of a sample platform with two bracing configuration, and with different supporting conditions has been evaluated by using static and dynamic push-over analysis.

A challenging problem in structural health monitoring systems is the requirement of a systematic, effective method for damage localisation and assessment severity of structures, based on vibration data measured by sensors. To address this issue, a novel technique, referred to as damage estimator with modal parameters of structure before and after damage, is applied to detect the location and estimate the severity of existing damage of complex structures. Specifically, a series of experimental tests using a scaled offshore platform model of a 4-story jacket type has been conducted to verify the efficiency of proposed approach, with white noise excitations applied to the top plate of test model. For 6 scenarios of damage conditions simulated by bolt adjustment in the 3rd layer, vibration-based impulse data are induced by an impact hammer and recorded to analyse the variations of modal parameters. Upon the investigation, the results highlight that damage estimator is capable of tracking damage orientation and severity longitudinally, using data from only the fundamental mode shape before and after damage. However, detection accuracy declines considerably for small-scale damages.

The purpose of structural health monitoring (SHM) is to detect damage as early as possible. To this end, damage-sensitive features (DSFs) must be evaluated to achieve the objectives. Researchers have developed numerous features. However, some gaps remain in the literature for feature selection; thus, conducting research that collects, evaluates, and suggests suitable DSFs are deemed essential. Consequently, this article seeks to identify effective DSFs and damage diagnosis recommendations. Seven categories are examined for output-only DSFs: 1) statistical features, 2) spectral function features, 3) modal property-based features, 4) entropy-based features, 5) transmissibility function (TF), 6) time series models, and 7) vibration parameter features. The sensitivity of DSFs to noise is also investigated. Three types of offshore platforms subjected to ambient loads are modeled in SAP2000. For each model, nine damage scenarios with three types of damage (cross-section area, moment of inertia, and pinned connection) are considered. The results of this study include a comparison of the performance of categories and features, efficient features for identifying the damage occurrence, and efficient features for locating the damage in noise-free and noisy conditions. Finally, suggestions are made for effective damage diagnosis. • This research covers a significant gap in the SHM literature, particularly for offshore platforms. • A comprehensive analysis of seven categories of output-only damage-sensitive features (DSFs) for damage detection is presented. • Three types of damage are considered: reduction of the cross-section area, the moment of inertia, pinned connection with severity ranging from 5% to 50%, and ambient loads such as waves, currents, and winds. • Suggestions are made concerning sensitive and efficient DSFs for damage detection. In addition, the noise sensitivity of various categories and features for noise conditions is investigated. • Several recommendations and observations on damage diagnosis are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cointegration has been used to distinguish the changes in dynamic features of a structure caused by environmental variations from those related to structural damage. This paper describes the development of a novel low-rank filter to suppress the noise in damage-sensitive features and enhance the identifiability of cointegration. It has been confirmed that cointegration is highly dependent on the presence of a vector error-correction model composed of a rank-deficient long-run impact matrix Π. Therefore, the low-rank filter employs a low-rank matrix pencil A + B K C to reconstruct Π iteratively, where A is the noise-free counterpart of Π , and the matrix product BKC accounts for the influence of noise. By minimizing the Frobenius norm of the gain matrix K , the random noise in the damage-sensitive feature series can be suppressed while the cointegration relationship among the damage-sensitive features can be recovered. Comparison between the low-rank filter and two widely used denoising methods, i.e., wavelet and empirical mode decomposition, is performed with the numerical model of an offshore platform and an experimental lattice structure. Results indicate that the low-rank filter is more compatible with cointegration for simultaneously suppressing noise and revealing the damage state of the structures in the presence of environmental variations. • A low-rank filter is proposed to suppress the noise in damage-sensitive features. • A time series analysis method is proposed for damage detection under varying environmental conditions. • The low-rank filter is more compatible with cointegration than wavelet and EMD. • An experimental lattice structure confirms the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with adaptive integral sliding mode control (AISMC) based on a wavelet kernel support vector machine for offshore steel jacket platform subject to nonlinear wave-excited force and parameter perturbations. The sliding mode control technique is combined with adaptive control algorithm and wavelet support vector machine to achieve the desired attenuation on the wave-induced vibration and to limit the displacement of offshore platforms. In this method, wavelet kernel support vector machine is used to establish the adaptive controller and an on-line learning rule for the weighting vector and bias is derived. The most important feature of the proposed control strategy is its inherent robustness and its ability to handle the nonlinear behavior of the offshore platform. By means of this control scheme the performance of the AISMC has been improved. The performance of the proposed control strategy is compared with some existing control schemes. It is demonstrated that the proposed control scheme in this paper is more effective in improving the control performance of the offshore platform. This controller is designed based on solving a set of linear matrix inequalities. It has been illustrated through simulation results that the proposed control scheme is effective in improving the control performance of offshore platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, trawl fishing as a traditional method is widely used in shellfish harvesting at home and abroad. However, using this method to catch the scallops has many disadvantages, such as huge energy consumption, high labor intensity, and poor fishing efficiency, which have become the key questions to restrict the sustainable development of marine fishing industry. Therefore, it’s very worth researching alternative scallop fishing equipment to meet the requirements of green development. The offshore scallop capture equipment is made up of platform deck, floating body and mooring, which is a kind of floating offshore engineering structure. This equipment occupies multiple functions, such as fishing, sorting, refining, storage and so on. Winch motors (ground net machine and anchor winch), cargo winch, generator unit, scallop separator, working cabin, accommodation and diesel generator were installed on the platform, and solar power as the source of power. In addition, to keep the scallops fresh and achieve the purpose of saving space, 2 shellfish purification storage networks were also set below the platform. Compared with the trawl fishing, it would substantially reduce energy consumption, realize precision fishing, raise fishing efficiency, and decrease the cost of purification. In this paper, based on the comparative methods, the technologic and economic parameters and the economic assessment indices were selected for the establishment of the technical and economic evaluation model, which was to investigate the economy of offshore scallops capture working platform. Firstly, the platform trawling engine power, the platform span, the hauls of platform anchored one time, the lateral movement time of platform anchored one time, the trawling speed of platform and the total construction cost of platform were selected as the technologic and economic parameters. Secondly, the capture fuel consumption per unit area, the unit cost of fishing and the capture efficiency were selected as the economic assessment indices. Next, the technical and economic evaluation model was established according to the technologic and economic parameters and the economic assessment indices. At last, based on this model, the economic calculation of fishing methods including fishing vessels and scallops capture working platform was carried out by using the comparative method. The results showed that when the platform trawling engine power was 400-470 kW, the platform span was 0.5-3.0 km, the lateral movement time of platform anchored one time was less than 2 h, the trawling speed of platform was beyond 1.4 kn, the total construction cost of platform was less than 27.5 million yuan, the scallops capture working platform project had more advantages over the fishing method of fishing vessels. Meanwhile, from these data, it was concluded that the haul of platform anchored one time was not very sensitive to the effect of scallops capture working platform project. The offshore scallops capture working platform conformed the policy of energy saving and emission reduction that was in line with the national “Twelfth Five-Year Plan”. By further experimental verification, the analysis model and method can provide the economic theory reference for the fundamental changes in fisheries production mode in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore wind farm integration is providing substantial technical and economic challenges in the medium term and the trend for farther shore development in the future is focusing research and industry attention on cost effective transmission alternatives to existing technologies. In 2014, offshore wind capacity in Europe consisted of 8045 MW, with the majority of this connected to onshore grid via High Voltage AC (HVAC) transmission. Wind farms commissioned further offshore (>80 km) utilise High Voltage DC (HVDC) transmission for grid interconnection. The deployment and operation of Voltage Sourced Converter (VSC) HVDC substations in harsh offshore environments is still a major challenge for the offshore wind industry. Recently, research studies to reduce the complexity of the offshore network have been undertaken both in industry and in academia, with the primary motivation of reducing cost and increasing reliability. This paper provides a review of Low Frequency AC (LFAC) transmission, which is of significant interest for offshore wind farm integration at a range of 80–180 km. LFAC is an adaptation of HVAC transmission, operated at lower frequency, typically 16.7 Hz. The key advantage of LFAC compared to HVDC is the elimination of the requirement for an offshore converter station, thereby reducing offshore complexity and potentially increasing the operational life of the offshore wind farm. Design challenges are introduced surrounding the design of the 16.7 Hz transmission transformer and associated offshore platform for this potential transmission technology. A comprehensive review of existing research conducted on LFAC and a discussion centreing on the design considerations for offshore LFAC transmission components is presented. The frequency changing converter onshore, offshore LFAC substation and the wind turbine considerations are evaluated in detail. LFAC multi-terminal offshore grids are also considered, as this alternative to HVDC multi-terminal grids may reduce the requirement for multiple offshore converter stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airborne Wind Energy Converters (AWECs) are promising devices that, thanks to tethered airborne systems, are able to harvest energy of winds blowing at an altitude which is not reachable by traditional wind turbines. This paper is meant to provide an analysis and a preliminary evaluation of an AWEC installed on a floating offshore platform. A minimum complexity dynamic model is developed including a moored heaving platform coupled with the dynamics of an AWEC in steady crosswind flight. A numerical case study is presented through the analysis of different geometrical sizes for the platform and for the airborne components. The results show that offshore AWECs are theoretically viable and they may also be more efficient than grounded devices by taking advantage of a small amount of additionally harvested power from ocean waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the ambient metal pollution at the offshore drilling platform in the Bo Sea, which few studies have focused on, PM 2.5 samples were collected and ten heavy metals, as well as As, were analyzed. High concentration levels of metals were observed, and the heavy metal pollution was quite serious compared to air quality standards and other marine areas. Back trajectories and wind dependent and PCA analyses showed that the marine sources included ship traffic emissions and corrosive stainless steels from the equipment at the platform as well as industrial emissions from stainless steel production and coal combustion sources, which were transported from the surrounding mainland. Both contributed greatly to the ambient metallic particles at the offshore platform. The Hazard Index values of the metals, which were much less than 1, the Carcinogenic Risk data, which were lower than the EPA’s acceptable range, and the fact that the metal concentrations did not the exceed the permissible exposure limits of OSHA, indicated that the health risks from the ambient metallic particles for the oil-drilling workers were not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of true weak modes buried in high-level, noisy, measured data from offshore structures is a practical but challenging problem because weak modes are typically eliminated as noise and rarely, yield a discrete time series. This study proposes a weak-mode identification and time-series reconstruction method for offshore structures when high-level noise is present. A theoretical development proposed in this study extends the traditional modal analysis to reconstructing the discrete time series of weak modes, thereby removing its previous limitations to only frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes. Additionally, a second development proposed in this study makes the reconstructed time series not simply a combination of harmonic components from a Fourier transform but rather complex exponentials; the damping of the test structure is thus estimated with a better accuracy. A third theoretical development avoids variations in the results from different original signals by handling multiple signals simultaneously. The proposed approach primarily includes three steps: (1) estimate the poles and corresponding residues of high-level, noisy, measured data by converting high-order difference equations to first-order difference equations; (2) isolate the poles of weak modes by assigning multiple rough-pole windows, and subsequently extract the corresponding residues based on the row number of the isolated pole vector; and (3) identify and reconstruct the time series of the weak modes of interest in the form of complex exponentials. The most primary advantage of the proposed process in engineering applications is that the pole windows can be easily obtained and assigned from the relationship between the frequencies and their poles. Three numerical examples are studied: the first presents the detailed numerical operation of the proposed method, the second extends the proposed method from managing one signal to managing multiple signals, and the third demonstrates the advantage of the approach compared with traditional methods. The numerical results indicate that the original signals can be decomposed into multiple complex exponentials with representative poles and corresponding residues, and that the new signals representing weak modes could be reconstructed by assigning a range of frequencies in terms of their relations with the poles. To study the performance of the proposed method when applied to offshore structures such as offshore platforms and marine risers, the experimental data from the high mode VIV experiments sponsored by the Norwegian Deepwater Programme (NDP) are used firstly. The results show that two dominant frequencies corresponding to the in-line and cross-flow directions can be identified simultaneously even one mode is very weak compared with the other, and the time series of the weak mode could be reconstructed with a rough frequency window. Then sea-test data of two offshore platforms are used: one was collected from the JZ20-2MUQ offshore platform when it was excited by ice, and the other was collected from the WZ11-4D platform when it was excited by waves. The results further demonstrated that a large model order is required to estimate all poles and residues of the original noisy signals, and that the row number corresponding to a weak mode of the isolated pole matrix could be easily determined via finite element analysis or engineering experiences. Therefore, the proposed approach provides not only modal parameters, such as frequencies and damping ratios of true weak modes buried in high-level noise, but also the discrete time series of the weak mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]