Model Tests on Truss Spar Platform

The exploration of hydrocarbon reservoirs in ultra deep water requires the use of innovative floating platform configurations. The hydrodynamic interaction of such platforms with ocean waves and the understanding and quantification of the nonlinear components of theses interactions have been a subject of continuing research. A truss spar model was tested using regular waves in a wave basin and the responses in surge, heave and pitch were measured. A MATLAB programme was developed to determine the responses by numerical method. This programme was run using the model parameters and it gave results which agreed well with the corresponding results obtained from the test measurements.