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IJMERR 2022 Vol.11(8): 556-563
DOI: 10.18178/ijmerr.11.8.556-563

A Co-simulation Methodology for Risers Tensioned with Direct Acting Tensioners

Savin Viswanathan 1, Christian Holden 1, Olav Egeland 1, and Ronny Sten 2
1. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering., Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
2. NOV Rig Systems, Kjelleveien 21, NO-3125 Tønsberg, Norway

Abstract— In this paper, the development of a co-simulation methodology to simulate the coupled response of a platform connected to a riser through a basic direct acting tensioner (DAT) is discussed. The hydro-pneumatic tensioner system is modeled in SimulationX, a widely used multiphysics software, while the platform and the riser stack are modeled in OrcaFlex, which is a well-known ocean engineering software package. The application programming interface (API) capabilities of both software are exploited to enable the development of the co-simulation model using an interface-file coded in Python. In the co-simulation, the OrcaFlex model is the master and the SimulationX model is the slave. A winch-wire element is used to represent the responses of the tensioner cylinder inside the OrcaFlex model. At the beginning of each simulation time interval in OrcaFlex, the kinetics at the bottom end of the winch-wire is transmitted as the force applied on the piston rod of the tensioner cylinder, at the end of the previous time-step, to SimulationX. The velocity of the piston-rod at the end of the previous time interval in SimulationX is then passed on as the payout rate of the winch-wire at the beginning of the current time-step in OrcaFlex. This process is repeated for the next time step, and the simulation proceeds until the end of the specified simulation time. A detailed discussion of the simulation results is included to showcase the advantages of the approach. The simulation files are made available for public access.

Index Terms— riser tensioner, multiphysical systems, co-simulation, riser disconnect, ocean engineering

Cite: Savin Viswanathan, Christian Holden, Olav Egeland, and Ronny Sten, "A Co-simulation Methodology for Risers Tensioned with Direct Acting Tensioners," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol. 11, No. 8, pp. 556-563, August 2022. DOI: 10.18178/ijmerr.11.8.556-563

Copyright © 2022 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the article is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.