Design and Comparison of Catenary and Taut Mooring Systems for New Concept FPSO IQFP in Shallow Waters

In order to design an effective and economical multi-point mooring system for the new concept FPSO IQFP (fillet inverted quadrangular frustum pyramid shaped FPSO, presented by the lead author), the effects of the mooring parameters on the performance of catenary mooring system and taut mooring system were investigated according to the initial design plans given in advance according to the steady environment forces and practical experiences. Then, the optimal mooring systems were developed on the basis of the static analysis results combined with the coupled calculations in time domain. Finally, the merits and demerits of the two mooring schemes were compared based on the mooring and static characteristic parameters as well as the curves of restoring force against horizontal displacement of the catenary and taut mooring systems respectively. The results verify that the taut mooring system is preferable to the catenary mooring system for IQFP deployed in shallow waters.