Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• A direct mechanical measurement-based mooring tension monitoring method was developed and successfully deployed on the 'Yongle' platform, capturing one year of in-situ data. • Under wave heights up to 1.24 m, the mooring tension reached 16.5 tons, demonstrating the system's capability to record extreme loads. • Frequency domain analysis identified three distinct spectral components: wave-induced force, slow drift force, and elastic restoring force, with the restoring force frequency approximately half that of the wave signal. • For the dual-module floating platform with hinge connections, wave-induced force was the dominant component under certain conditions, while the restoring force was the smallest.
Abstract
Mooring cable tension is a crucial parameter for evaluating the safety and reliability of a floating platform mooring system. The real-time mooring tension in an actual marine environment has always been essential data that mooring system designers aim to acquire. To address the need for long-term continuous monitoring of mooring tension in deep-sea marine environments, this paper presents a mooring cable tension monitoring method based on the principle of direct mechanical measurement. The developed tension monitoring sensors were installed and applied in the mooring system of the "Yongle" scientific experimental platform. Over the course of one year, a substantial amount of in-situ tension monitoring data was obtained. Under wave heights of up to 1.24 m, the mooring tension on the floating platform reached 16.5 tons. Through frequency domain and time domain analysis, the spectral characteristics of mooring tension, including wave-induced force, slow drift force, and mooring cable elastic restoring force, were determined. The mooring cable elastic restoring force frequency was approximately half of that of the wave signal. Due to the characteristics of the hinge connection structure of the dual module floating platform, under some specific working conditions the wave-induced force was the maximum of the three different frequency forces, and restoring force was the smallest.
1. Introduction
Mooring systems are used to restrict the movement of floating platforms at sea and the failure of a mooring system can cause the sinking, tilting, or collision with the surrounding objects, of the floating platform, resulting in significant economic losses and societal impacts [1]. Mooring cables are crucial components of mooring systems, which provide tensions to floating platforms, and the tensions must be within the specified design index [2−3]. Mooring cables endure the alternating tension loads caused by waves and ocean currents over a long period in the sea. Under adverse conditions such as ocean storms and typhoons, the dynamic tension of mooring lines becomes greater, and the possibility of exceeding the design load of a mooring system is also higher [4−6]. Continuous online monitoring of mooring tension can master the safety status of a mooring system in real time, which is helpful to assess the safety margin of the mooring system. It can prevent damage or even breakage of mooring cables during prolonged use, and provide real marine load data for optimizing the design of mooring systems, ensuring platform safety [7−8].
Currently, the primary technologies for monitoring mooring cable tension in a marine environment include inclinometer measurement based on underwater acoustic communication or self-contained and stopper pressure measurement. The inclinometer measurement method is the most commonly used in mooring tension measurement projects, but this method indirectly calculates tension using the catenary equation, which has relatively a large error and a lack of data details due to the complex marine environment. For example, the UK-based offshore engineering company 2H employs an ultrasonic angle measurement device to measure and transmit mooring chain tension. An underwater inclinometer is installed on the mooring chain to measure the inclination angle and an underwater ultrasonic receiver device is used to receive wireless tension measurement data, which is transmitted to the monitoring system computer via a communication cable. Due to the limitation of underwater acoustic communication, the frequency of tension collection is very low and cannot capture high-frequency wave impact information. On the other hand, this ultrasonic inclination measurement system is complex to use, expensive, and difficult to promote and apply. Feng et al [9] developed and applied a self-contained mooring tension monitoring device based on inclination measurement, while the tension data is saved under water and cannot be tr...
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YANG Hua-wei, ZHENG Qing-xin, XU Chun, YANG Qi-fan, JIANG Zhen-tao (2025). Monitoring and Data Analysis of Mooring Tension for Floating Platforms. SinoTechIntel Verified Research. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1007-7294.2025.06.008
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main contribution of this paper?
The paper presents a novel mooring cable tension monitoring method based on direct mechanical measurement, which was successfully deployed on the 'Yongle' scientific experimental platform. It provides one year of in-situ data and detailed spectral analysis, revealing the characteristics of wave-induced, drift, and restoring forces.
How was the mooring tension monitored?
The monitoring used tension sensors based on direct mechanical measurement, installed in the mooring system of the 'Yongle' platform. This approach avoids the errors of indirect methods like inclinometer-based catenary calculations.
What were the key findings regarding mooring tension under wave conditions?
Under wave heights up to 1.24 m, the mooring tension reached 16.5 tons. Frequency analysis identified three components: wave-induced force, slow drift force, and elastic restoring force, with the restoring force frequency about half that of the wave signal.
Why is continuous mooring tension monitoring important?
Continuous monitoring allows real-time assessment of mooring system safety, helps prevent cable damage or breakage, and provides valuable load data for optimizing mooring system design, especially under extreme conditions like storms.
What are the limitations of existing monitoring methods mentioned in the paper?
Existing methods like inclinometer-based measurements have large errors due to indirect calculation and low data collection frequency, failing to capture high-frequency wave impacts. They are also complex and expensive, limiting their widespread application.
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