The Netherlands: JIP Wind-Jack for Interactive Jack-Up Legs with Seabed

For jack-up wind turbine installation vessels the loads on the legs and the jacking system during touch-down and lift-off are considered the most critical aspects in the operational performance of the vessels.

The aim of the JIP, which is in its second year, is to understand and predict this interaction between jack-up legs and the seabed in order to better quantify the operational limits.

As a first deliverable to the participants, MARIN’s existing time domain hydrodynamic tool aNySIM has been extended with a simplified soil response model, which enables the seabed impact loads on the vessel during dynamic vessel motions to be calculated. In the coming year an advanced soil response model will be developed and verified by soil mechanic, as well as hydrodynamic model tests. Finally, an easy-to-use practical tool will be developed. Wind-Jack will run until Q3 2014.

[mappress]

Press release, April 12, 2013; Image: marin