ABSTRACT
This study experimentally examined the effect of sloshing on the hydrodynamic responses of FLNG (floating liquefied natural gas) systems during side-by-side operation. To determine the influence of sloshing, the vessels were ballasted with solid and liquid cargo. Wave probes were installed in the tanks to determine the free-surface elevation. The results show that sloshing has a pronounced effect on the roll motion and the relative sway motion. During side-by-side operation under this liquid ballast conditions, the ranges of the roll motion and the relative sway motion were reduced. The maximum tension on the hawsers or fenders and the collision frequency of the fenders also decreased. These results indicate that under this liquid loading condition, sloshing can have a beneficial effect on the motions and the induced loads of the connected system. This information will be helpful for carrying out the numerical calculation and also for optimising the operation of FLNG systems.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from a China National Scientific and Technology Major Project (Grant No. 2011ZX05026-006-05), and the State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, Tianjin University (Grant No. HESS-1404).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.