RCID

Hose Reel Drum

Problem

The RCID was approached to verify the structural integrity of a large offloading hose reel drum for an offshore vessel. The drum was to be subjected to a variety of loadings whilst in service and had to be capable of surviving a 100 year storm condition.

Design

Due to the complexity of the design the best method of assessing the structure was to use FEA.

The drum and its supporting frames were analysed using Pro/Mechanica at a variety of load combinations. Due to the size of the parts, the drum and frames were meshed with shell and beam elements. The resulting stresses were compared to industry standards.

During the course of the analysis an opportunity arose to remove redundancy from the original design. The arrangement and section of the spokes were significantly revised resulting in a design which was 30% lighter and easier to manufacture.

A similar approach was taken on the supporting frames.

Deliverables

The revised design of the drum was delivered to the customer with a report describing the results of the FEA including deck and bolt loadings for the vessel.

The reel was successfully manufactured and has been in service for a number of years.