Determination of Roll Damping Coefficients for an FPSO Through Model Tests and CFD Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide a guideline to estimate the damping coefficient for a box-shaped Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) under various loading conditions and bilge keel heights through model tests and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. A series of free roll decay model tests is carried out under various conditions for parameters such as the draft, metacentric height (GM), radius of gyration, and bilge keel height. 3D CFD simulations are carried out and 6DOF motion of the FPSO is realized through the employment of the overset mesh technique. The effects of the loading condition and bilge keel height on the roll damping performance of a box-shaped FPSO and a prediction method of roll damping through the use of CFD simulations are discussed in detail.