Mentor Graphics reports that Eni’s engineering and construction unit, Saipem has used its FloEfd ‘virtual Lab’ to design the Saipem 7000, the world’s second largest semi-submersible crane vessel.
Mentor’s FloEfd embeds engineering fluid dynamics within computer aided design (CAD) to provide an ‘engineering-oriented’ approach to design. FloEfd was used to compute towing force on various mobile offshore units and to verify that temperature limits were not breached for crane operation in proximity to a flare stack, a pre-requisite for safe operations and certification.
Saipem has also used the tool to aid in the design of deepwater, dynamically positioned pipe laying vessels. These deploy powerful thrusters to generate the large towing forces required to cut deep trenches. But this brings the risk of seabed scouring when used in shallow water operations. FloEfd simulations have established safe operating limits that have been validated with seabed surveys. More from Mentor Graphics.
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