An Assessment of Wave and Wind Data for Use in Design of Tension Leg Platforms - U.S. Offshore Areas.

• Main Author: Buckley,W H
• Other Authors: DAVID W TAYLOR NAVAL SHIP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER BETHESDA MD
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1984
• Subjects: Meteorology; Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; Structural Engineering and Building Technology; *OCEAN WAVES; *WIND; TEST AND EVALUATION; PEAK VALUES; POSITION(LOCATION); DYNAMIC RESPONSE; METEOROLOGICAL DATA; OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA; INSTALLATION; STORMS; TIME DOMAIN; OFFSHORE STRUCTURES; NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; HEIGHT; OCEAN BOTTOM; WAVES; OFFSHORE; BUOYS; TETHERING; MEXICO GULF; FLOATING PLATFORMS; TLP(Tension Leg Platforms); Tension leg platforms; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA159723; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA159723

Interest in deep water oil production platform design has increased considerably in recent years. One of the promising concepts for outer continental shelf installations is a semi-submersible, column stabilized floating platform held in place by pre-loaded tendons anchored to the ocean floor. Because of the unique character of the tethering arrangement this concept is commonly referred to as a Tension Leg Platform (TLP). Climatic summary wave and wind data obtained from NOAA ocean data buoys of potential interest in design are summarized. Selected wave and wind data from those storms which produced maximum measured values of significant wave height and modal period is defined. This envelope also identifies seaways of extreme steepness. Characteristic normalized spectra are defined for certain portions of the envelope and in the case of seas of limiting steepness, critical time domain waves are identified. Dynamic response characteristics of a model of the Hutton TLP are reviewed in order to help identify wave and wind data of special interest in determining cumulative service and extreme structural loadings for TLP's. Initiatives for extending the frequency and time domain wave and wind data of this report to individual NOAA data buoy locations are then identified. Keywords: Extreme wave and wind; Mexico Gulf; North Atlantic Ocean.