Dynamic analysis of mooring lines with inserted springs

Typical numerical schemes for mooring line analysis assume that mooring lines are inextensible or undergo small elongation, which restricts their applications to mooring lines involving large elongation elements, such as springs. This study extends the existing methods to allow for a mooring line or parts of mooring line experiencing large elongation. The predicted tension and trajectory of mooring lines based on the extended numerical scheme are found in satisfactory agreement with those of laboratory measurements, while the predictions based on the method of small elongation assumption match poorly. The extended numerical scheme is especially useful to the design and simulation of a mooring-line system used in wave basin tests. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.