Dynamic response analysis of TLP based on AQWA

A classical tension leg platform (TLP) is globally designed in order to study the dynamic response of TLP in extreme offshore environment. The theories of potential flow and diffraction/radiation are used to calculate the wave loads of TLP in hydrodynamic calculation software AQWA. The random wave loads, wind loads and current loads are considered to analyze the dynamic response of a conventional TLP in extreme offshore environment, and the RAOs(response amplitude operator) of surge, sway, heave, roll, pitch and yaw are obtained under several different directions of wave. The dynamic responses of tendon and platform are also obtained considering the effects of P-M ocean wave spectra in extreme offshore environment. The results show that changes of wave directions have no effect on the RAOs of heave, but they have obvious effect on the movement amplitude of other five directions; the additional stiffness from tendons to platform has obvious effect on the RAOs of roll, pitch and heave, and it has obvious restriction on the surge, sway and yaw of platform; the dynamic response of platform is mainly caused by wave loads; tendons have large amplitude motions caused by the reaction of the motion of platform and the effects of environmental loads. In a ward, TLP can be kept away from wave frequencies of concentrated energy depending on the restriction of tendons; therefore TLP can have excellent performance of roll, pitch and heave, but the safety and performance of tendon becomes main target of TLP.