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EC
35,1
202
Received 24 March 2017
Revised 14 June 2017
Accepted 1 August 2017
Engineering Computations
Vol. 35 No. 1, 2018
pp. 202-210
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-4401
DOI 10.1108/EC-03-2017-0107
Study on the structural stability
evaluation of umbilical winch
for ROV LARS
Namsub Woo, Sangmok Han and Youngju Kim
Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Pohang, Korea, and
Sunchul Huh and Hyunji Kim
Department of Energy Mechanical Engineering,
Gyeongsang National University, Tongyeong, Korea
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this study is structural stability evaluation of umbilical winch. In accordance
with the recent trend for developing natural resources, high-technology equipment on exploration ships is
becoming more technologically advanced. One such piece of high-technology equipment is the umbilical
winch. In this study, the umbilical winch is divided into two parts (drum and winch), where each is
respectively designed with three dimensional models using CATIA, and dynamic simulation and structural
analysis are performed using ANSYS.
Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the winch is divided into two parts for finite element
analysis, the drum and whole winch model, and the parts are designed as three-dimensional models except for
some small parts, such as bolt holes. Dynamic simulation and structural analysis are then performed using
ANSYS. The analysis results ensure the reliability of the design methods and will be used in the domestic
localization of remote operated vehicle (ROV) launch and recovery systems (LARS).
Findings – The strain is identified from the results, but it is very small. Some stress is concentrated at
the lower corner of the drum, but the maximum stress value is lower than the allowable stress; therefore,
the structure has no impact on the strain and stress. Thus, it is determined that the designed structure is
safe. The results ensure the reliability of the design methods and will be used in the domestic
localization of ROV LARS.
Originality/value – Previous studies focus on the static and mechanic problems of the winch by
considering winch and drum breakage in the umbilical winch system. However, ships have a nonlinear
motion characteristic with six degrees of freedom according to the constant influence of the external
environment. In addition, from a design perspective, the dynamic characteristics (e.g. the ship’s
motions) are more important than the static characteristics. Thus, the authors focus on winch stability
securement with variable loads, such as ships moving, wave disturbance and other such important
environment conditions.
Keywords ROV, Launch and recovery system (LARS), Structural analysis, Umbilical winch,
Winch drum
Paper type Research paper
This research was supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE), Korea Institute
for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) through the Encouragement Program for The Industries of
Economic Cooperation Region. (No. R0004465). This work was supported by the Industrial Strategic
technology development program (10042430, Development of 500 MPa URF & SIL 3 Manifold and
Subsea System Engineering for Deepsea Field) funded by the Ministry of Trade, industry & Energy
(MI, Korea).
1. Introduction Structural
In accordance with the recent trend for developing natural resources, high-technology stability
equipment on exploration ships is becoming more technologically advanced. One such piece
of high-technology equipment is the umbilical winch. It is commercially used to launch and
evaluation
recover the remote operated vehicle (ROV), using umbilical cable.
Previous studies of winch have focused only on the mechanical breakage problems.
Therefore, static conditions of the umbilical winch and drum were considered in this
research. However, the ships have a dynamic motion characteristic with six degrees of 203
freedom according to the constant influence of the external environment (Ji et al., 2013).
In addition, from a design perspective, the dynamic characteristics (e.g. the ship
motions) are more important than the static characteristics. Thus, we focus on the
winch stability evaluation with varying loads and other such important environment
conditions (Woo et al., 2016a, 2016b). Also, the structural analysis is essential for
structural stability evaluation.
An umbilical winch of ROV launch and recovery systems (LARS) is essential
equipment for launch and recovery of ROV. The umbilical winch consists of the winch
frame, umbilical cable, control box, winch drum and level winding device, etc. The
control box and the ROV are connected by umbilical cable, the cable plugs into the ROV
to control the system. The umbilical cable length is about 3,000 m, and it is winded on
the drum of umbilical winch. The condition of the umbilical winch is directly related
with the safety of the ROV and information transmission.
In this paper, the umbilical winch is divided into two cases for finite element analysis,
one is the winch drum and another is the umbilical winch. Each case is designed as
three-dimensional (3D) models as shown in Figure 1. The structural analysis is then
performed using ANSYS. The analysis results ensure the reliability of the design methods,
and it will be used in the development of ROV LARS.

2. Environmental conditions
2.1 Acceleration by ship motions
Ships are generally affected by waves and wind in the sea, and the umbilical winch have
also been effected by the ship motions. Roll refers to a swaying hull motion from port to
starboard by waves, and pitch means hull motion from after to backward by waves. Table I
shows the acceleration by ship motions, according to the equipment height. The height of
the umbilical winch is 2.6 m, so it applied the Flare L value to consider roll and pitch by ship
motions. Also, the acceleration should be applied in the opposite direction from gravity
when adding load and acceleration (Yang and Hur, 2014).

2.2 Wind pressure

Wind pressure means the load that occurs on the structure when the wind hits it. The
umbilical winch is used in the sea, so the maximum wind speed in the working area should
be considered. Generally, wind load analysis applying the wind pressure to the widest cross-
section of the umbilical winch. Formula (1) is a general calculation formula for the wind
pressure (Kim et al., 2015). The wind pressure is calculated using formula (1) to apply the
analysis for the umbilical winch.

v2
W¼C  F r  (1)
2
where:
EC
35,1

204

Figure 1.
Assembled 3D model
of the umbilical
winch

Surge [m/s2] Sway [m/s2] Heave [m/s2]

Flare L [m] 1.0 3.0 3.0

Flare M [m] 2.8 4.7 3.3
Table I. Flare T [m] 4.5 6.4 3.6
Acceleration by ship
motions Notes: Flare L: 35.4 m, Flare M: 100.4 m, Flare T: 165.4 m

W = Wind pressure;
C = Resistance coefficient;
F = Maximum area of perpendicular to the wind;
r = Air density; and
v = Wind speed.
2.3 Rotational velocity Structural
The umbilical cable is 3,000 m, and its internal weight is 9.5 tons. The drum of umbilical stability
winch received the greatest weight load of the umbilical cable. After the umbilical cable
pressure is calculated according to the weight and applied to the drum, the drum is rotated
evaluation
at 32 m/min relative to the center axis. Therefore, structural analysis is conducted to
examine the drum’s behavior.

2.4 Dynamic coefficient

205
The umbilical winch has many loads, including the winch and umbilical cable weight, and all
loads should be multiplied by the dynamic coefficient. In addition, the dynamic coefficient can
be considered in non-applied environmental conditions. Therefore, structural analysis is
applied to the dynamic coefficient instead of non-applicable environmental conditions.
Umbilical winches are typically used in the ships, so a dynamic coefficient is applied, according
to Table II, which is in accordance with DNV ship classification (Kim et al., 2015).

3. Structural analysis of winch drum

3.1 Three-dimensional modeling of winch drum
The winch drum receives the largest load in the umbilical winch. Therefore, it was designed
three-dimensionally and analyzed to understand the safety of the winch drum. The main
purpose of structural analysis is to determine the effects of situations the structure may
experience. Therefore, the 3D modeling of umbilical winch is simplifying designed.

3.2 Boundary conditions of the winch drum

The drum is 1.754 m wide, 2.26 m diameter and made of DH-36 steel. Figure 2(a) shows a
3D finite element model of the winch drum. Mesh is a process of creating a 3D geometry
model for a finite element model that consists of an element and node. A high-density
mesh improves the results of structural accuracy, but it increases the analysis time and
the memory requirement. Therefore, it is important to use a regular-sized mesh overall
because each node proceeds the structure analysis as a value. Figure 2(b) is a boundary
condition, A is the weight of the drum in normal gravity, B is the wave acceleration
condition, C is the wind pressure, D is the drum’s rotational velocity, E is the force exerted
by the umbilical cable’s weight, and F and G are fixed supports. The applied boundary
conditions are shown in Table III.

3.3 Analysis results of the winch drum

Figure 3 shows structural analysis results for the winch drum, Figure 3(a) is total
deformation and Figure 3(b) is equivalent stress. The total deformation is 0.02 mm, where
deformation is measured at the lower side of the drum. However, the deformation is too

Crane mount on Dynamic coefficient Cv

Fixed structure 1.33

Spar 1.33 þ 0.003  Hsig ≥ 1.4
Semisubmersible 1.33 þ 0.0007  Hsig  Hsig ≥ 1.4
Drillship 1.33 þ 0.0012  Hsig  Hsig ≥ 1.4
FPSO 1.33 þ 0.0012  Hsig  Hsig ≥ 1.4 Table II.
Onboard lift dynamic
Note: Hsig = Sea significant wave height for the load chart in question (ft) coefficients
EC
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206

Figure 2.
3D modeling of the
winch drum

Environmental condition Boundary condition

Diameter/width 2.26 m/1.75 m

Acceleration [Wave] Surge: 1 m/s2, Sway: 3 m/s2, Heave: 3 m/s2 4.38 mm/s2
Table III. Rotational velocity 32 m/min 0.85 rad/s
Boundary condition Safety working load 9.5 ton
of the winch drum Material strength DH-36 Steel (Yield strength: 360MPa)

Figure 3.
Structural analysis
results of winch drum

small for the size of the structure, so the analysis results show that the structure is never
modified.
In Figure 3(b), the maximum stress value is approximately 6.1 MPa, which is measured
at the lower corner of the drum, and the average stress value is approximately 0.5-1 MPa
except for the maximum stress point. In addition, as the maximum stress is within the
allowable stress, it means that the drum can maintain its service life without damage, even Structural
in extreme environments. Therefore, the drum is safe from its load. stability
evaluation
4. Structural analysis of umbilical winch
4.1 Three-dimensional modeling of umbilical winch
As in the preceding, the drum design was checked for the structural stability evaluation of
the umbilical winch. The main purpose of structural analysis is to catch the meaning of a 207
structures critical situation; therefore, some small non-influential parts, such as bolt holes
and support pins, were all simplified, and the essential parts, such as the winch frame and a
level winding system, were designed. The thickness of the winch frames was 16-20 mm, the

Environmental condition Boundary condition

Height/width 2.6 m/1.8 m

Acceleration [Wave] Surge: 1 m/s2, Sway: 3 m/s2, Heave: 3 m/s2 4.38 mm/s2
Wind 24.5 kts 12.6 m/s Table IV.
Safety working load 9.5 ton Boundary condition
Material strength DH-36 Steel (yield strength: 360MPa) of umbilical winch

Figure 4.
Boundary condition
of umbilical winch
EC winch is 1.77 m wide and 2.58 m high. Originally, all parts of the winch material were
35,1 different, but all parts are now DH-36 steel.

4.2 Boundary condition of umbilical winch

Table IV and Figure 4 show the boundary conditions of the umbilical winch. Ships on the
208 sea have many more sensitive conditions than those on land. A is the weight of the winch in
normal gravity, B is the wave acceleration condition, C is the drum’s rotational velocity, D is
the force from the umbilical cable’s weight, and E is the fixed support. Each boundary
condition is described in the following sections.

4.3 Analysis results of umbilical winch

Figure 5 shows the structural analysis results for the umbilical winch, where Figure 5(a) is
the total deformation and Figure 5(b) is the equivalent stress. The total deformation is 1.3
mm, which is measured on the lower side edge of the level winding device. However, the
deformation is too small for the size of the structure, so the analysis results show that the
structure is never modified.
In Figure 4(b), the maximum stress value is approximately 32.6 MPa, which is measured
at the lower corner of the drum support part, and the average stress value is approximately
2-3 MPa except for the maximum stress point. Furthermore, as the maximum stress is
within the allowable stress, the umbilical winch can maintain its service life without being
damaged, even in extreme environments. Therefore, the umbilical winch is safe from the
effect of its load.

Figure 5.
Structural analysis
results of the
umbilical winch
5. Conclusions Structural
For the development of an umbilical winch, structural analysis is conducted in this research. stability
The CATIA program is used to design 3D models for finite element analysis, and the
ANSYS program is used for structural analysis. Thus, the following results were extracted:
evaluation
According to the structural analysis of the drum, the maximum stress occurred at its
lower corner. The result of the total deformation is also measured at the lower side of the
drum edge; however, the deformation is too small for the size of the structure, and the stress
is lower than the allowable stress.
209
In the structural analysis of the umbilical winch, the maximum stress is measured at the
lower corner of the drum support part. The total deformation is measured from the lower
side edge of the level winding device. However, the deformation is too small for the size of
the structure, and the stress is lower than the allowable stress. Therefore, it shows that the
structure is never modified and thus safety designed.
Three dimensional modeling and the analysis results will be used in future ROV LARS
design technology development to make actual models in Korea, and it will be used in the
development of ROV LARS.

References
Ji, S.W., Kim, S.J. and Kim, Y.B. (2013), “Experimental approach for mooring winch control system
design”, 13th International Conference on Control, Automation and Systems in Kimdaejung
Convention Center, Gwangju.
Kim, H.J., Kim, G.N., Jeong, C.K., Jung, Y.G. and Huh, S.C. (2015), “FSI analysis and fatigue analysis of
BOP gantry crane”, Advances in Mechanical Engineering.
Woo, N.S., Han, S.M., Kim, H.J., Kim, Y.J. and Huh, S.C. (2016a), “A study on the structural analysis of
umbilical winch for ROV LARS”, ICCPE 2016 Conference, Kenting.
Woo, N.S., Kim, Y.J., Kim, H.J., Han, S.M., Lee, W.D., Ran, J.R. and Lee, S.K. (2016b), “A Study of
structural analysis of winch drum for ROV LARS”, KSME Conference, Yeosoo.
Yang, K.U. and Hur, J.G. (2014), “Proposition of automatic ship mooring using hydraulic Winch(II)”,
KSFC Conference.

Further reading
Azis, F.A., Aras, M.S.M., Rashid, M.Z.A., Othman, M.N. and Abdullah, S.S. (2012), “Problem
identification for underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV): a case study”, Procedia
Engineering, Vol. 41, pp. 554-560.
Fang, M.C., Hou, C.S. and Luo, J.H. (2007), “On the motions of the underwater remotely operated vehicle
with the umbilical cable effect”, Ocean Engineering, Vol. 34, pp. 1275-1289.
Jin, Y.P., Wan, B.Y., Liu, D.S., Peng, Y.D. and Guo, Y. (2016), “Dynamic analysis of launch & recovery
system of sea floor drill under irregular waves”, Ocean Engineering, Vol. 117, pp. 321-331.
Kim, H.J., Jeong, C.K., Jung, Y.G. and Huh, S.C. (2014), “A study on the optimization design of BOP
gantry crane by ANSYS”, Applied Mechanics and Materials, Vols 479/480, pp. 314-318.
Kim, H.J., Kim, G.N., Jeong, C.K., Yoon, Y.H., Jung, Y.G. and Huh, S.C. (2016), “Hydraulic system design
and structural analysis of a BOP gantry crane”, JMST, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 75-81.
Kim, Y.B. (2013), “A positioning mooring system design for barge ship based on pid control approach”,
Journal of the Korean Society for Power System Engineering, Vol. 17 No. 5, pp. 94-99.
Quan, W.C., Liu, Y.S., Zhang, A.Q., Zhao, X.F. and Li, X.H. (2016), “The nonlinear finite element
modeling and performance analysis of the passive heave compensation system for the deep-sea
tethered ROVs”, Ocean Engineering, Vol. 127, pp. 246-257.
EC Quan, W.C., Liu, Y.S., Zhang, Z.Y., Li, X.H. and Liu, C.Q. (2016), “Scale model test of a semi-active heave
compensation system for deep-sea tethered ROVs”, Ocean Engineering, Vol. 126, pp. 353-363.
35,1
Sayer,P.(2008),“HydrodynamicloadsduringthedeploymentofROVs”,OceanEngineering,Vol.35,pp.41-46.
Schjolberg, I. and Utne, I.B. (2015), “Towards autonomy in ROV operations”, IFAC-Papers on Line,
Vol. 48 No. 2, pp. 183-188.

210 Corresponding authors

Youngju Kim can be contacted at: kyjp7272@kigam.re.kr and Hyunji Kim can be contacted at:
hjkimech@gmail.com

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