Polyester Rope Analysis Tool

摘要

The objective of this research is to develop a computational model to predict the response of synthetic-fiber ropes under both monotonic and cyclic loads. These types of ropes are believed to offer a better alternative to more traditional mooring systems for deepwater applications. Of particular interest for this study are the degradation of rope properties as a function of loading history and the effect of rope element failure on overall rope response. A computational tool developed specifically for this research accounts for the change in rope properties as it deforms and the change in configuration of a rope cross-section due to the failure of individual rope components. The software includes both geometric and material nonlinearities, and it incorporates a damage index so the strength and stiffness degradation of the rope elements can be modeled.