Motion and structural analyses of a drillship under hurricane conditions and ice impact loading

Authors

  • Muthu Selvakumar Nagarajan Department of Ocean Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
  • Srinivasan Chandrasekaran Department of Structural Engineering, University of Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
  • Rajiv Sharma Department of Ocean Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
  • Ermina Begovic Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
  • Sirirat Jungrungruengtaworn Department of Maritime Engineering, Faculty of International Maritime Studies, Kasetsart University, Sriracha campus, Chonburi 20230, Thailand
  • Nonthipat Thaweewat Department of Maritime Engineering, Faculty of International Maritime Studies, Kasetsart University, Sriracha campus, Chonburi 20230, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.275456

Keywords:

Drillship, Non-linear dynamics, Environmental loads, Motion response analysis, free-float test, Hydrodynamic forces, Hurricane Sea states, Ice Impact, Drillship; Environmental loads; Motion response analysis; Free-float test; Hydrodynamic forces; Hurricane sea states; Ice impact

Abstract

The goal of the study is to understand drillship structural behavior under extremely hazardous hurricane conditions, as well as the variables influencing their strength and stability. In the present study, two cases are considered: a drillship is analyzed under sea states of severe storm conditions using hurricane data from the Gulf of Mexico, and ice loads acting as impact loads. Studies show that the drillship experienced instability caused by the excessive roll and pitch response motion. The critical design shear stress and longitudinal bending moment are predominantly affected by the amplified pitch response in the moonpool. The results illustrate details of the motions induced by environmental loads, free float tests, a combination of hydrodynamic diffraction and Froude- Krylov forces, impact analysis, and RAO-based time and frequency domain studies. These are very useful insights for the design of drillships under impact loads.

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Cite this article:

Nagarajan, M.S., Chandrasekaran, S., Sharma, R., Begovic, E., Jungrungruengtaworn, S., Thaweewat, N. (2025). Motion and structural analyses of a drillship under hurricane conditions and ice impact loading. Maritime Technology and Research, 7(3), 275456. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.275456
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Highlights

  • The novelty is to analyze the dynamic responses of a drillship to an ice impact using numerical modeling.
  • Two cases are considered: a drillship is analyzed under sea states of severe storm conditions using hurricane data from GoM, and ice loads act as impact loads.
  • The study aims to understand drillship structural behaviour under extremely hazardous hurricane conditions and the variables influencing their strength and stability.
  • The results illustrate details of the motions induced by environmental loads, free float tests, the combination of hydrodynamic diffraction and Froude- Krylov forces, impact analysis, and RAO-based time and frequency domain studies.

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2025-02-07

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Vol. 7 No. 3 (2025): July - September

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