The OrcaFlex Blog

We are very pleased to announce the 2012 major release of OrcaFlex, version 9.6. As always it takes time to produce and despatch installation CDs but clients with up-to-date MUS contracts can expect to receive the software in the first half of November. In fact we are thinking of switching to electronic distribution for future releases, which would mean that you would get the upgrade sooner after release.

The major enhancements introduced in 9.6 are as follows:

• 64 bit OrcaFlex
• New Line Contact model
• Full QTFs for wave drift
• Sum-frequency QTF loads
• Shear7 modes file generation for lines with torsion, Shear7 version 4.7
• P-y model improvements
• User defined results for external functions

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Yes they have come around again and you will shortly get mailshots for your local event. For those that like to plan in advance, the dates and venues are published on our website.

The UGMs are free events that give you a chance to see the new features in action and what we are planning. There is a guest speaker, a fellow OrcaFlex user, and you get a chance to talk to us directly and to meet fellow users.

We will be providing an overview of the new features in version 9.6 but most of the day will be devoted to the new Line Contact model in OrcaFlex. Example cases will be given to show how this feature can be used to model pipe-in-pipe, piggyback lines, J-tube pull-ins and other systems that require tracking of the relative movement between lines. We have still kept the Hints and Tips session due to popular demand. These are selected based on the most frequent questions from clients.

Some of the UGMs are followed by Open Training courses. If you would like a place at the UGM or the training course then please get in touch. Note that training places fill up quickly so are best booked as soon as possible.

We look forward to seeing you there.

We are very pleased to announce the 2011 major release of OrcaFlex, version 9.5. As always it takes time to produce and despatch installation CDs but clients with up-to-date MUS contracts can expect to receive the software in the first half of November.

The major enhancements introduced in 9.5 are as follows:

• Slam loads.
• Wave drift damping and manoeuvring loads for vessels.
• P-y models to model lateral seabed reactions for vertical lines.
• Equivalent line modelling.
• Support for SHEAR7 version 4.6.
• Improved automation capabilities.
• Replays can track and follow the movement of objects.
• Docked model browser.
• External functions: now available with the implicit solver and can be written in Python.

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We have just released a minor upgrade to OrcaFlex, version 9.4d.  The most significant changes introduced with 9.4d are:

• Rainflow fatigue analysis would, under certain situations, fail and report an out of memory error.  Version 9.4d addresses this issue and we believe that this error will no longer occur.
• A number of bugs related to end load results reporting for bend stiffener objects have been fixed.

Many other less significant bugs have been fixed.  Full details of the enhancements and bug fixes in 9.4d are described on our website.

We would recommend all users of 9.4b to upgrade to 9.4d.  A patch to upgrade from 9.4b to 9.4d is available.  If you would prefer to receive version 9.4d on CD please contact us.

A whole year has now passed since we released OrcaFlex 9.3 which means that it is time for the release of OrcaFlex 9.4! As always it takes time to produce and despatch installation CDs but clients with up-to-date MUS contracts can expect to receive the software some time around the end of August.

The major enhancements in version 9.4 fall into the following categories:

• Improved performance of the OrcaFlex post-processing spreadsheet.
• Enhancements to modal analysis: whole system analysis, better performance.
• Enhancements to fatigue analysis: mean stress, mooring fatigue using T-N curves, SHEAR7 fatigue.
• Line contents modelling: free-flooding, slug flow, spatial and temporal variation of contents.
• Vessel data import enhancements for generic text files.
• Better handling of vessel RAO data which omits zero period response.
• Improved modelling of solid contact at edges and corners.
• Line floats wizard now supports Reynolds number dependent drag.

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As now seems to be traditional, here at Orcina we have spent the summer months working very hard to complete a major upgrade to OrcaFlex. The result is OrcaFlex 9.3 which was formally released early in August. We have just despatched the final upgrade CD and so all customers with up-to-date MUS contracts will have the software very soon, if not already.

I should also point out that we have released a minor upgrade (version 9.3b) which fixes some bugs that have come to light in version 9.3a (the version included on the upgrade CD). As usual a patch to upgrade from 9.3a to 9.3b is available for download.

The major enhancements in version 9.3 fall into the following categories:

• Extreme value statistics post-processing of results variables.
• Text data file (in addition to existing binary data file).
• Enhanced interface to SHEAR7.
• Static state simulation files.
• Non-linear material properties for elastomeric bend stiffeners.
• API 2RD stress check.
• Coatings and linings for homogeneous pipe.
• Roll damping for vessels.
• Modal analysis improvements.
• Performance improvements.

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