Dynamic Stability of FPSO-Shuttle Systems: An Analytical Procedure and Practical Results

Abstract

The paper deals with the dynamics of floating systems (FPSO units) moored in deep water in the presence of currents. The offloading operation is carried out in a tandem arrangement from the FPSO to a Shuttle ship of lesser capacity. According to the classical theory of dynamic systems, a study of the behavior of floating units is performed by determining the equilibrium position and then analyzing the stability around this position. The time domain analysis is also used to compare the results. This procedure is extended to the case of systems in a spread mooring configuration and with turret.