Dynamic responses of a twin-DP-barge float-over installation system with flexible connections

The twin-barge float-over technique, incorporating a dynamic positioning (DP) system, has been increasingly utilized to enhance the installation capacity and efficiency of offshore platforms. But the DP system is not fully considered during the design stage at present. This study investigates the dynamic responses of a twin-barge float-over system integrating flexible connections and DP system. A numerical model is developed and combined with model-scale experiments to analyze the characteristics of the system. The findings reveal the significant influence of the DP system on the coupled system, leading to harsh oscillations in the roll and heave directions. To effectively address this oscillation, a method with eigenmodes analysis and filter adjusting is proposed. The robustness of this method is verified through sensitivity analysis, and further investigation is conducted to analyze the motion response characteristics of the coupled system under varying environmental conditions. The findings and the proposed method in this paper are also applicable to various multi-vessel cooperative transportation scenarios.