Effect of Partially Filled Spherical Cargo Tanks on the Roll Response of a Bargelike Vessel

Floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) is an offshore structure which enables liquefaction, storage, and offloading of natural gas. It is a game changer in offshore hydrocarbon development. Side-by-side offloading is a promising way of transferring liquefied natural gas (LNG) from FLNG to an LNG carrier. The roll response of LNG carriers, which plays a critical role, has been observed to be influenced by the liquid cargo motion inside the tanks. Therefore, the operational window for side-by-side offloading may not be estimated robustly using a simplified method which ignores the liquid cargo and considers only the ballast condition. This necessitates a scientific understanding of the roll responses of an LNG carrier at different load conditions. In this study, a series of model tests are conducted on a bargelike vessel with two spherical tanks. The response amplitude operators (RAOs) and response spectra of the vessel in different load conditions and different headings are investigated. The effect of intermediate cargo volumes on global roll response is, for the first time, examined for spherical cargo tanks. It is suggested that intermediate loading conditions with explicit inclusion of the effects of cargo sloshing is utilized in side-by-side operability studies to robustly ascertain offloading availability.