An Investigation of the Directional Stability Characteristics of Internal Turret Moored FPSO Vessels Available to Purchase

This paper describes the details of a comparative evaluation of the directional stability characteristics of internal the propose turret moored FPSO hulls. .. The ability of an FPSO to effectively weathervane is a significant performance feature in a severe operational environment, to minimize downtime for offloading, risk of greenwater damage, and to limit maintenance on turret components. The model test program was intended to assess the relative directional stability of three hull forms, and subsequently to evaluate options for improving its directional stability. The results of the tests indicated that bow form was the dominant factor affecting the response of the hulls tested. While previous studies have looked at issues such as turret position, it is believed that this program was one of the first systematic investigations of the influence of hull form on the directional stability characteristics of this type of vessel.