Title: Structural analysis of a steel double hull underwater tank, intended for oil recovery from shipwrecks

Authors: D.E. Mazarakos; D.E. Vlachos; V. Kostopoulos

Addresses: Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics, University of Patras, Patras University Campus, GR 265 00 Patras, Greece. ' Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics, University of Patras, Patras University Campus, GR 265 00 Patras, Greece. ' Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics, University of Patras, Patras University Campus, GR 265 00 Patras, Greece

Abstract: In the present work, the survivability of a submerged structure against loads, imposed by the operational environment, such as hydrostatic pressure is presented. The structure under consideration is a component (buffer bell) of a system called DIFIS that recovers fuel from shipwrecks. It consists of two parts: the reservoir and the floater. The floater is the part that produces the buoyancy force that holds the whole system in place and therefore its structural integrity is crucial for the safety of the structure. The floater is designed as a double hull structure made of steel plates and stiffeners. The task of the structural analysis is to ensure that the floaters' double hulls are able to withstand the hydrostatic pressure due to the depth and maintain the needed buoyancy forces. In the present analysis, the strength of the hulls is evaluated for three different scenarios (operational, worst case and accident scenarios).

Keywords: FEM; finite element method; steel double hull; subsea; HY100 steel; DIFIS Project; structural analysis; underwater tanks; oil recovery; shipwrecks; submerged structures; hydrostatic pressure; fuel recovery; buoyancy force; structural integrity; structural safety; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAET.2013.050629

International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology, 2013 Vol.5 No.1, pp.76 - 98

Published online: 30 Jan 2014 *

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