Testing of an innovative self-installing spar structure

Testing of an innovative self-installing spar structure

Status: Complete

Supervisors

• Andrew Grime
  Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Offshore Foundation System, UWA

• Lifen Chen
  Research Fellow, Centre for Offshore Foundation System, UWA

Students

• Gavin Lane
  UWA Master of Professonal Engineering Student
• Siyu Liu
  UWA Master of Professonal Engineering Student
• Ryan Radameyer
  UWA Master of Professonal Engineering Student

Project Description

Continuing from work completed by RiverLab students in 2018, the purpose of this project is to extend and enhance their outputs by drawing on lessons previously learned.

This includes the following changes:

(i) modify the existing model to remove the deck structure (high windage area) and change the internal mass distribution to better match the target mass moment of inertia properties;

(ii) site selection – consider an alternate Swan river site which generates less onerous wave conditions;

(iii) input data – create software tool which correlates forecast and actual wind data at the inner dolphin pylon to measured wave conditions at the various Swan River sites;

(iv) improve diffraction modelling outputs by considering the water motion inside the moon pool; and (v) extend
coupled model to consider various foundation options/mooring systems.

Figure 1. Preparing the Spar structure for calibration of the heave damping coefficient in advance of the Riverlab test program