The dynamic action induced on offshore pipelines by deepwater S-laying is significant, and directly determines how the pipeline structures are designed and installed. Existing research has not fully investigated the benefits of coupling models of pipeline and pipelaying vessel motions. Therefore, this paper presents a coupled time-domain numerical model for examining the effect of coupled dynamic reactions. The coupled model takes into account the motion of the pipelaying vessel, surface waves, ocean currents, wind forces, pipeline dynamics, and contact between the rollers and the pipeline. A proportional, integral, derivative (PID) controller was used for simulating the control of the pipelaying vessel. The hydrodynamic forces that the pipeline experiences were modeled using the Morison equation. The model was solved using Newmark’s method and verified using OrcaFlex software. The model was then used to analyze practical operations: the laying of a 22″ gas export pipeline on the seabed by the pipelaying vessel HYSY201 in the Pingbei-Huangyan gas fields in the East China Sea. The effects of coupled factors on pipelaying vessel motions and pipeline dynamics were approximated. These effects included configurations, axial tensions, and bending moments. The results show a significant connection between the dynamic responses of the pipelines and pipelaying vessel motions.

Accuracy estimation of wave loading on cylinders in a pile group under different impact scenarios is essential for both the structural safety and cost of coastal and offshore structures. Differing from the interaction of waves with a single cylinder, less attention has been paid to pile groups under different arrangements. Numerical simulations of interactions between plunging breaking waves and pile group in finite water depth are performed using the two-phase flow model in REEF3D, an open-source computational fluid dynamics program to investigate the wave loads and flow kinematics characteristics. The Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation with the two equation k − ω turbulence model is adopted to resolve the numerical wave tank. The model is validated by comparing the numerical wave forces and free surface elevation with measurements from experiments. The computational results show fairly good agreement with experimental data. Four cases are simulated with different relative distances, numbers of cylinders, and arrangements. Results show that the wave forces on cylinders in the pile group are effected by the relative distance between cylinders. The staggered arrangement has a significant influence on the wave forces on the first and second cylinder. The interaction inside a pile group mostly happens between the neighboring cylinders. These interactions are also effected by the relative distance and the numbers of the neighboring cylinders.

In underwater towing operations, the drag force and vertical offset angle of towropes are important considerations when choosing and setting up towing equipment. The aim of this paper is to study the variation in drag force, vertical offset angle, resistance, and attitude for towing operations with a view to optimizing these operations. An underwater experiment was conducted using a 1:8 scale physical model of a subsea module. A comprehensive series of viscous Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out based on Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations for uniform velocity towing. The results of the simulation were compared with experimental data and showed good agreement. Numerical results of the vorticity field and streamlines at the towing speeds were presented to analyze the distribution of vortexes and flow patterns. The resistance components were analyzed based on the numerical result. It was found that the lateral direction was a better direction for towing operations because of the smaller drag force, resistance, and offset angle. Similar patterns and locations of streamlines and vortexes were present in both the longitudinal and lateral directions, the total resistance coefficient decreases at a Reynolds number greater than that of a cylinder.

Pipeline end termination (PLET) installation is an essential part of offshore pipe-laying operation. Pipe-laying operations are sensitive to pipe-laying barge motion and marine environmental conditions. Monitoring the field environment can provide a reasonable basis for planning pipe-laying. Therefore, the measurement and analysis of sea wave motion is helpful for the control and operational safety of the pipeline and vessels. In this study, an environmental monitoring system was established to measure wave motion during PLET operation. Fourier transforms were used to process images that were acquired by ultra-high-frequency X-band marine radar to extract wave parameters. The resulting wave spectra, as measured each minute, were used to simulate real-time wave data and calculate wave characteristics and regressed wave frequency and direction spectrum throughout the PLET operation. The regressed frequency, spectral density, and direction spectra were compared with the theoretical spectra to evaluate their similarity and find the most similar spreading function in the operational area (the South China Sea). Gaussian fitting of real-time wave data was tested while using a classical method. The marginal distribution and joint density of the wave characteristics were estimated and then compared with theoretical distributions to find the most suitable model for improving marine environmental forecasting.

The process of compressed air being blown into a body of water generates a complex gas–liquid two-phase flow field. This paper describes numerical simulations of compressed air blowing water using the volume-of-fluid multiphase flow method. The accuracy and convergence of the numerical method are verified by comparison with experimental data and high-speed imaging results. Based on a visualized symmetric water tank blowing system, the gas–liquid two-phase flow characteristics inside the tank are analyzed. In the initial stage of the blowing process, the gas jet flow at the center is minimally affected by the gas–liquid mixing induced by the initial momentum of the compressed air. Subsequently, the gas jet mixes with the surrounding liquid water, forming an elliptical gas–liquid mixture in the middle of the tank. As the jet develops, it evolves into a turbulent mixing region influenced by the buoyancy of the surrounding environment. Under the effect of gas turbulence and buoyancy, a cavity structure forms inside the tank, causing the gas–liquid interface to separate. The liquid level rapidly drops as gas accumulates in the tank, and the water is eventually expelled. A visualized ballast tank blowing system is designed, and the gas–liquid two-phase flow patterns inside the tank are discussed. The variations in internal pressure and the free liquid surface are determined, and the air supply and drainage mechanisms of the water tank, along with their influencing factors, are clarified. The results verify the correctness of the numerical model.