In 2001 a series of carefully documented model tests were carried out at the Marin wave basin facility in Holland for three generic "Theme Structures", comprising a turret-moored FPSO, caisson spar, and TLP, all tested in extreme Gulf of Mexico conditions. These tests were part of a larger industry-wide study of then-current "state of the art" analysis, design and testing processes for these important deepwater structures. This project was documented in numerous DeepStar reports and updates. See, for example: OTC DeepStar FPSO Report, and OTC DeepStar TLP Report.
The turret-moored FPSO represented by far the most interesting case from an analysis standpoint. This is because it has enough freedom of motion to display genuinely interesting behaviors, and enough complexity to identify problems in the analyses. The spar exhibited some interesting hull-related VIV processes, and all structures displayed VIV involvement to one degree or another on risers and mooring structures.
SeaSoft, in collaboration with SOFEC, Inc., a DeepStar study participant, contributed to DeepStar FPSO modelling using SeaSoft's SPMsim. SPMsim's model basin predictions, along with exhaustive "figures of merit" to quantify theory-measurement differences, can be retrieved here: SPMsim DeepStar Predictions. There is a massive amount of data, but it is mostly self-explanatory, with some assistance from the FPSO report linked above and the FPSO_Test_Catalog.
Following on the success of SPMsim's replication of the FPSO measurements, it was decided to look at the remaining theme structure measurements using SeaSoft's TLPsim and Sparsim simulation products. Spreadsheets with SeaSoft results for TLP and Spar were subsequently developed; refer to links below.
DeepStar TLP materials can be accessed here:
DeepStar Spar materials can be accessed here: