Fatigue Stress Estimation of an Offshore Jacket Structure Based on Operational Modal Analysis

Fatigue life assessment currently recommended by offshore standards is associated with a large number of uncertainties mainly related to the environmental loads and the numerical model. Recently, for economic reasons, the need for extending the lifetime of existing offshore structures led to the nec...

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Main Authors: Bruna Nabuco, Marius Tarpø, Ulf T. Tygesen, Rune Brincker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Shock and Vibration
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/7890247
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author Bruna Nabuco
Marius Tarpø
Ulf T. Tygesen
Rune Brincker
author_facet Bruna Nabuco
Marius Tarpø
Ulf T. Tygesen
Rune Brincker
author_sort Bruna Nabuco
collection DOAJ
description Fatigue life assessment currently recommended by offshore standards is associated with a large number of uncertainties mainly related to the environmental loads and the numerical model. Recently, for economic reasons, the need for extending the lifetime of existing offshore structures led to the necessity of developing more accurate and realistic predicting models so that damage detection and maintenance can be optimized. This paper proposes the implementation of Structural Health Monitoring Systems in order to extract modal properties—such as mode shapes, natural frequencies, and damping ratios—throughout Operational Modal Analysis (OMA), which is the engineering field that studies the modal properties of systems under ambient vibrations or normal operating conditions. The identified modal properties of the structural system are the fundamental information to update a finite element model by means of an expansion technique. Then, the virtual sensing technique—modal expansion—is used to estimate the stress in the entire structure. Though existing models depend on the load estimation, the model based on OMA-assisted virtual sensing depends on the measured responses and assumes that the loads act as random vibrations. A case study using data from a real offshore structure is presented based on measurements recorded during normal operation conditions of an offshore tripod jacket. From strains estimated using OMA and virtual sensing, fatigue stresses are predicted and verified by applying the concept of equivalent stress range. Both estimated and measured strains are given as input data to evaluate the equivalent stress range and compared with each other. Based on this study, structural health monitoring estimates the fatigue stresses with high precision. As conclusion, this study describes how the fatigue can be assessed based on a more accurate value of stress and less uncertainties, which may allow extending the fatigue life of offshore platforms.
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publishDate 2020-01-01
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series Shock and Vibration
spelling doaj-art-2e8dbcd5b96b4422bd12aeb38f2780742025-08-20T03:55:07ZengWileyShock and Vibration1070-96221875-92032020-01-01202010.1155/2020/78902477890247Fatigue Stress Estimation of an Offshore Jacket Structure Based on Operational Modal AnalysisBruna Nabuco0Marius Tarpø1Ulf T. Tygesen2Rune Brincker3Technical University of Denmark, Department of Civil Engineering, Brovej 118, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, DenmarkAarhus University, Department of Engineering, Inge Lehmanns Gade 10, 8000 Aarhus, DenmarkRamboll Oil and Gas, Department of Marine Structures, Bavnehøj 5, 6700 Esbjerg, DenmarkTechnical University of Denmark, Department of Civil Engineering, Brovej 118, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, DenmarkFatigue life assessment currently recommended by offshore standards is associated with a large number of uncertainties mainly related to the environmental loads and the numerical model. Recently, for economic reasons, the need for extending the lifetime of existing offshore structures led to the necessity of developing more accurate and realistic predicting models so that damage detection and maintenance can be optimized. This paper proposes the implementation of Structural Health Monitoring Systems in order to extract modal properties—such as mode shapes, natural frequencies, and damping ratios—throughout Operational Modal Analysis (OMA), which is the engineering field that studies the modal properties of systems under ambient vibrations or normal operating conditions. The identified modal properties of the structural system are the fundamental information to update a finite element model by means of an expansion technique. Then, the virtual sensing technique—modal expansion—is used to estimate the stress in the entire structure. Though existing models depend on the load estimation, the model based on OMA-assisted virtual sensing depends on the measured responses and assumes that the loads act as random vibrations. A case study using data from a real offshore structure is presented based on measurements recorded during normal operation conditions of an offshore tripod jacket. From strains estimated using OMA and virtual sensing, fatigue stresses are predicted and verified by applying the concept of equivalent stress range. Both estimated and measured strains are given as input data to evaluate the equivalent stress range and compared with each other. Based on this study, structural health monitoring estimates the fatigue stresses with high precision. As conclusion, this study describes how the fatigue can be assessed based on a more accurate value of stress and less uncertainties, which may allow extending the fatigue life of offshore platforms.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/7890247
spellingShingle Bruna Nabuco
Marius Tarpø
Ulf T. Tygesen
Rune Brincker
Fatigue Stress Estimation of an Offshore Jacket Structure Based on Operational Modal Analysis
Shock and Vibration
title Fatigue Stress Estimation of an Offshore Jacket Structure Based on Operational Modal Analysis
title_full Fatigue Stress Estimation of an Offshore Jacket Structure Based on Operational Modal Analysis
title_fullStr Fatigue Stress Estimation of an Offshore Jacket Structure Based on Operational Modal Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Fatigue Stress Estimation of an Offshore Jacket Structure Based on Operational Modal Analysis
title_short Fatigue Stress Estimation of an Offshore Jacket Structure Based on Operational Modal Analysis
title_sort fatigue stress estimation of an offshore jacket structure based on operational modal analysis
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/7890247
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AT mariustarpø fatiguestressestimationofanoffshorejacketstructurebasedonoperationalmodalanalysis
AT ulfttygesen fatiguestressestimationofanoffshorejacketstructurebasedonoperationalmodalanalysis
AT runebrincker fatiguestressestimationofanoffshorejacketstructurebasedonoperationalmodalanalysis