Ships and Offshore Structures, Available Online, 2022

Effect of pneumatic rubber fenders on the prevention of structural damage during collisions between a ship-shaped offshore installation and a shuttle tanker working side-by-side

Author(s) : Sang Min Park, Hyeong Jin Kim, Hye Rim Cho, Kyoung Hwan Kong, Dae Kyeom Park, Jeom Kee Paik

Abstract:
This study investigated the effects of pneumatic fenders on the prevention of structural damage from collisions between a ship-shaped offshore installation and a shuttle tanker during side-by-side offloading operations. A nonlinear finite element modelling technique was developed to simulate the kinetic energy absorption behaviour of pneumatic fenders during collisions. Full-scale pneumatic fenders were physically tested to validate the computational model at various collision speeds. The developed pneumatic fender model was integrated with a conventional finite element model of a hull structure to simulate the crashworthiness of the hull structure in collisions with a shuttle tanker during side-by-side offloading. This integrated computational model was then applied to examine case studies involving a VLCC class ship-shaped offshore installation hull with and without pneumatic rubber fenders colliding with a Suezmax class shuttle tanker. The key findings and insights of these investigations, particularly the collision energy absorption characteristics are summarised.