Parameter Calibration in Dynamic Simulations of Power Cables in Shallow Water to Improve Fatigue Damage Estimation

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to use in situ measurements during service to adjust the estimation of the cumulated damage, and achieve an increased accuracy in predicting the remaining life span of the power cable. Direct monitoring of fatigue damage is not feasible, nor is it possible to completely measure the power cable response along all its length. Measurements can though be obtained concerning environmental conditions and the floater motion, as well as the cable response in a few points. However numerical simulations are still required to compute the state of stress of the cable. Therefore the intended monitoring methodology aims at calibrating several parameters from the numerical model with respect to available measurements, in order to reduce the uncertainty on these parameters, and thus the uncertainty on the model output. Selection of these parameters must therefore be based on their influence on damage and on their a priori uncertainty. In this respect marine growth influence on cable characteristics is of particular interest.