Dynamics of Single Point Mooring in Deep Water

Abstract

The dynamics of a single point mooring of an oceanographic disc buoy with diameter of forty feet were investigated in ocean waves, current and wind for water depths in the order of 10,000 to 20,000 feet. A numerical model was developed to simulate the motion of the buoy and the nylon mooring line. The buoy motion and position were determined at each time increment from integrating the differential equations that arise from considering the buoy to be a rigid body and applying Newton's second law of motion. The solution for the dynamics of the line was developed by integrating the differential equations of motion by utilizing the method of charateristics. The results from the numerical analysis compared favorably with measurements of dynamic line tension for a mooring in 13,000 feet of water near Bermuda.