Wang Liquan, Gong Hanyang, Xing Xiaodong, Yuan Jinru. Rigid dynamic performance simulation of an offshore pipeline plough

Ocean Engineering 94 (2015). — p. 51–66.Offshore pipeline ploughs are used for laying pipelines in seabed trenches; these devices primarily consist of a plough body and skid and steering systems. Research on the virtual dynamic analysis of this system is essential for predicting the dynamic performance of the plough during trenching and steering. In this work, a 3-D rigid body dynamic simulation model is developed to investigate the performance of the simulated plough under different operating conditions. To verify this simulation model, an onshore field trenching study with a prototype plough was carried out. In terms of the tow force, the simulation results of the plough performance agree with the onshore field results and laboratory data within a certain range of simulation tolerance. We also present the effects of sandwaves and steering adjustment on the plough tow force. In addition, this paper addresses the development process and the dynamic results of the simulation model with a flexible towline.