Mooring Design and Dynamics 

              

 

 

Data Input:

  • The programs are written to use MATLAB's graphic user interface capabilities.
  • The database assumes six different rope materials, Steel, Nylon, Dacron, Polypropylene, Polyethylene, and Kevlar
  • Property data for the mooring lines is supplemented by “joiners” such as shackles.

Applications:

  • Design and evaluation of single point oceanographic moorings, mooring data, and towed body apparatus.
  • Both surface (including "S" moorings) and sub-surface moorings can be designed.
  • Spatial position of each mooring element relative to the anchor is determined under the influence of time dependent 3 dimensional currents.
Users:
  • Oceanographic institutions and universities.
  • Over 500 users worldwide.
Computer systems:
  • Matlab version 5.x or higher required.
  • Windows 95, 98, NT, and HP-UNIX tested.
  • Supports common printer configu-rations.
Postprocessor output:
  • The mooring is plotted.
  • The final element positions, wire tensions, lengths and angles are printed.

 

Solution:
  • Once all of the angles have been calculat ed, the position of each element is calculated using the length of each element.
 

Modelling:
  • Each mooring element has a static force balance in each direction (x, y, and z).
  • Between solutions the mooring has time to adjust.
  • No inertial affects are considered.
  • A Wood Hole (WHIO) safety factor is used to estimate a safe, realistic anchor weight.
Loading:
  • Static current, wind and density fields.
  • Load time dependent currents and density profiles.
  • Wave action is not considered.
Summary:

Mooring Design and Dynamics is a set of MATLAB routines to assist in the design and evaluation of single point oceanographic moorings, mooring data, and towed body apparatus. Both surface (including "S" moorings) and sub-surface moorings can be designed and evaluated using a set of graphic user interfaces and a preliminary database of components. The package allows the user to design and evaluate the dynamics of oceanographic moorings under the influence of time dependent 3 dimensional currents by solving a set of force balance equations in order to determine the spatial position of each mooring element relative to the anchor. Wire, rope, and chain segments are divided into multiple "hinged" pieces, so that the shape of the mooring and towed line will realistically represent a sub-surface, surface mooring, or towed body under the influence of a sheared current. For the Towed body problem, both the currents and ship velocity can be set for complex cross flow operations.