HYDRODYNAMIC LOADS ON OFFSHORE PLATFORMS. A CASE STUDY FOR A LOCATION IN ROMANIAN ZONEOF BLACK SEA

摘要

The paper presents an approach to the problem of wind, wave, and current loadsacting on the structure of the fixed offshore platforms, using experimental andtheoretical methods.Within the Hydraulics Department of the Hydraulic Engineering Research Institute(ICH Bucharest) - at present Research and Engineering Institute for Environment -,many theoretical and experimental studies were carried out, since 1975, for theoffshore platforms built on the Romanian zone of the Black Sea continental shelf.A mathematical model, for computation of wind forces on the above-watersuperstructure of the offshore platforms, and for computation of wave and currentforces on infrastructure, in particularly simplified assumptions, is briefly presented.This model can compute the environmental loads on every structural member and onjoints of platform structure.The paper presents also the experimental results obtained in the wind and waveflume for a case study: the fixed offshore platform PFC-III, designed for theRomanian zone of Black Sea continental shelf. A scale model 1:40 was used for themeasurement of wind forces acting on platform superstructure, and a scale model1:20 was used for wave force tests. Some results of tests are presented in graphicalform (for example the drag coefficient CD and the inertia coefficient CM as function ofReynolds number, or as function of Keulegan-Carpenter number).Considering the obtained results, the paper stresses the need to carry out boththeoretical and experimental studies. In this way, it is possible to evaluate correctlythe wind, wave, and current loads for the design, in safe and optimal conditions, ofthe offshore platforms.