Objective The need for a jacket installation simulator arises from the need to reduce the costs of jacket structures to make marginal field development more attractive financially. With the advent of large crane barges it has become possible to consider the installation of jackets by a crane assisted methods.The requirement therefore exists for the predicted behaviour of a proposed jacket during installation to be examined in detail at an early stage of the design. Computer based simulation opens the possibility of being able to simulate the model tank tests at an early stage of the design. The design can be optimized and modifications tested at any stage and with some assurance of repeatable conditons. The computers required for both the modelling and graphics applications need to be extremely powerful even by modern standards. With technology now available it is possible to design a system which has sufficient computer power to handle the modelling requirements and graphics.PHASE 1 - RESEARCHExamine the available technology and evaluate sensible designs to use it. This will involve visiting suppliers of hardware and software and assessing their products.At the conclusion of this phase a viable route will have been identified. It is unlikely that the most suitable hardware will come equipped with the most suitable software and some compromise will be necessary.PHASE 2 - DEVELOPMENTThe work in this phase will be as follows:Design documentation for project control (level 0) - Detail system design (hardware and software). This will identify the overall system to be produced and specify in some detail the overall aims of the system as well as the operator interface requirements.Level 1 of the software design - Operator interface requirements. The operator interface requirements will become defined in some detail at this stage.SOFTWARE TOOLSIt is envisaged that this project will need to develop some software tools to use the hardware efficiency. There is a certain amount of software already developed in the area of hydrodynamic modelling and this must be used as efficiency as possible. HYDRODYNAMIC MODELLING SOFTWAREBy this stage the modelling software requirement will be well defined. Some additions to the existing AQWA suite of programs will be necessary. In particular it will be necessary to develop wave loading software to analyse the effects of non-linear small wave effects.SYSTEM SUPPORT SOFTWAREThe project team will need to develop some system specific software into which the modelling and graphics software can be built. SIMULATORHaving developed all the necessary tools the software for the simulator can be assembled. At this stage the activities of the modelling team and the systems team will be integrated into the simulator hardware leading to integrated modelling, graphics and operating system software in a completed and debugged system. TESTINGIt is essential that the simulator be tested for accuracy by comparison with bench marked software tools and known model and real life results. This phase of the project will result in the completed simulator. Programme(s) ENG-HYDROCARB 2C - Programme (EEC) of support for technological development in the hydrocarbons sector, 1986-1989 Topic(s) 1.9 - PRODUCTION SYSTEMS Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme DEM - Demonstration contracts Coordinator Atkins Wootton Jeffreys EU contribution No data Address Ashley Road KT18 5BW Epsom United Kingdom See on map Total cost No data