An investigation on flexible pipes birdcaging triggering

An investigation on triggering mechanisms for the birdcaging failure mode of flexible pipes, used in offshore oil and gas production, is carried out. From previous experimental observations, a conjecture is made: the local axisymmetric instability of the external plastic layer, caused by the high radial loading which is internally applied due to the helical armor wires tendency to expand when the pipe is subjected to compression, would be this trigger. A simple instability onset criterion for the external plastic layer, namely, the polymer intrinsic yielding limit stress, is proposed and assessed, analytically, numerically and experimentally for HDPE tubes. Then, previous birdcaging experimental observations are investigated further, focusing on the flexible pipe external plastic layer, to assess the proposed criterion. Strong evidences of validity are obtained.     

A finite element model for flexible pipe armor wire instability

The constructive disposition of metallic and plastic layers confers flexible pipes with high and low axial stiffness respectively when tensile and compressive loads are applied. Under certain conditions typically found during deepwater installation or operation, flexible pipes may be subjected to high axial compression, sometimes accompanied by bending. If not properly designed, the structure may not be able to withstand this loading and fails. From practical experience observed offshore and in laboratory tests two principal mechanisms, which will be discussed in this paper, have been identified regarding the configuration of the armor wires. When the pipe fails by compression the armor wires may exhibit localized lateral or radial deflections, consequently permanent damage is observed in the armor wires with a sudden reduction of the structure’s axial stiffness. The pressure armor may also unlock, thus causing potential fluid leakage.In this work a finite element model is developed to estimate the critical instability load and failure modes. An axi-symmetric model is constructed employing a complex combination of beam and spring elements. For each armor layer only one wire needs to be modeled, hence the computational cost is minimized without compromising the phenomenon characterization. A parametric case study is performed for a typical flexible pipe structure, where the friction coefficient between the wire armors and the external pressure are varied, and the critical instability loads and failure modes are obtained and results are discussed.     

Structural response of a flexible pipe with damaged tensile armor wires under pure tension

This article studies the structural response of a 6.0” flexible pipe under pure tension considering intact and damaged conditions. In the damaged condition, several wires of the tensile armor layers are assumed to be broken. A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element (FE) model devoted to analyze the local mechanical response of flexible pipes is employed in this study. This model is capable of representing each tensile armor wire and, therefore, localized defects, including total rupture, may be adequately represented. Results from experimental tests validate the FE predictions and indicate a reduction in the axial stiffness of the pipe, a non-uniform redistribution of forces among the remaining intact wires of the damaged tensile armor layers and high stress concentrations in the wires near the broken ones. Moreover, the FE model indicates that significant normal bending stresses may arise in the pressure armor and inner carcass due to an uneven pressure distribution on these layers. Finally, the results obtained are employed to estimate the pull out capacity of the studied flexible pipe.     

A finite element model for unbonded flexible pipe under combined axisymmetric and bending loads

Flexible pipes are key equipment for offshore oil and gas production systems, conveying fluids between the platform and subsea wells. The structural arrangement of unbonded flexible pipes is quite complex, encompassing several layers with polymeric, metallic and textile materials. Different topologies and a large amount of intricate nonlinear contact interactions between and within their components, especially because of the relative stick-slip mechanism during bending, makes numerical analysis challenging. This paper presents an alternative three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model that describes the response of flexible pipes subjected to combined axisymmetric and bending loads. To simulate the response of a flexible pipe under axial tension or compression combined with uniform curvature, an equivalent thermal loading is employed on the external sheath, which is modelled as an orthotropic thermal expansion material with temperature-independent mechanical properties. To assess the feasibility of the proposed model, the bending moment versus curvature of the finite element solution is compared with experimental results obtained in literature and good agreements are found between them. Detailed finite element results such as contact pressures, armour wire slip displacements and friction, normal and transverse bending stresses are also shown and compared with available analytical models.     

Local structural analysis of flexible pipes subjected to traction,torsion and pressure loads

Helically armored cables or pipes find a wide range of applications as structural members in engineering. An example of this is the increasing use of flexible pipes in the oil offshore production. Although keeping a geometrical similarity with other helically armored structures such as wire ropes and ACSR conductors, and borrowing from them a useful methodology for the structural analysis, some care must be taken in order not to indiscriminately use an approach which was not thought for a flexible pipe: internal and external pressures, for instance, are a great concern in the analysis of flexible pipes, but obviously not for wire ropes. This work aims at giving some additional contribution to the structural response of flexible pipes when subjected to axisymmetric loads, including the effect of both internal and external pressure in pipe displacements. Derivation of linear operators, relating the stress-resultants to their related displacements or deformations in each of the layers of the pipe, as well as the process of deriving an analogous linear operator to represent the behavior of the pipe as a whole, are clearly presented, highlighting interesting mathematical aspects and their associated physical meaning. A numerical case study of a 2.5″ flexible pipe subjected to traction and internal pressure is also presented and discussed.     

Numerical analysis of vortex-induced vibration on a flexible cantilever riser for deep-sea mining system

The flexible cantilever riser, as a special form of the marine riser, can be encountered in a deep-sea mining system, where the bottom of the long vertical lifting pipeline is connected with the intermediate warehouse. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of the bottom weight caused by the intermediate warehouse and the flow speed on the dynamic responses of the cantilever pipeline. A quasi-3D coupling algorithm based on the discrete vortex method and finite element method is employed to calculate the unsteady hydrodynamic forces and vortex-induced vibrations of this pipeline in the time domain, respectively. We first simulate the VIV of a long flexible riser with two fixed ends in a stepped flow to validate the feasibility of the present method. Then, systematic simulations of cross-flow VIV of the cantilever riser are carried out under a wide range of bottom weights and different current speeds. The number of the vibration mode shows the decreasing tendency with the increase of the bottom weight. In a certain range of the weight, the number of the dominant mode remains unchanged, while the vibration amplitude declines with increasing weight. An amplitude jump phenomenon can be observed when the transition of the dominant mode in two contiguous mode clusters occurs. Moreover, the higher-order modes are excited with the increase of the current speed.     

有限元法的方法论

  目的  艉部振动是研究船舶振动的重要组成部分,为了提高艉部振动的计算精度和效率,  方法  研究局部舱段模型建模范围和混合模型中舱段模型的建模比例。运用有限元法,对某直叶桨科考船分别建立不同的模型方案：6个不同比例的混合模型方案用于讨论详细舱段模型建模的比例;5个不同范围的局部舱段模型方案用于研究不同建模范围对固有频率的影响。此外,对刘易斯法和虚拟质量法考虑附连水质量的影响进行讨论。  结果  研究表明,混合模型的舱段模型建模比例在1/5L（船长）以上时,各方案的频率计算结果接近;当建模范围在振动节点附近时,局部舱段计算结果与混合模型计算结果吻合较好;使用刘易斯法和虚拟质量法对局部舱段模型进行计算时,计算结果差异较大。  结论  因此,建议用建模范围为1/4L的局部舱段模型研究船舶艉部振动,并推荐使用虚拟质量法考虑附连水的影响。     

Mechanical behavior of metallic strip flexible pipes during reeling operation

Metallic strip flexible pipes (MSFP), a relatively new style of unbonded flexible pipes, are considered as an attractive alternative to traditional submarine pipes. During its reeling operation, it will inevitably confront various complicated loads, which may affect the integrity and safety of MSFP's utilization. In this paper, the tension-extension and moment-curvature relation of MSFP were obtained by laboratorial tests. The mechanical properties were then imported into the global model established in ABAQUS. The finite element model was adopted to predict the deformation and mechanical responses of MSFP during the operation process. Besides, the effects of reeling length, the diameter of the coiling drum, and the pulling force were discussed. The obtained conclusions will provide some references for optimizing MSFP design and preventing possible damage in the reeling operation.     

A new look at the external pressure capacity of sandwich pipes

Sandwich Pipes (SPs) have been developed to overcome the required flow assurance and pressure capacity issues in deep and ultra-deep waters. This research aims at studying the influence of certain structural parameters on the pressure capacity (also referred to as the plastic buckling pressure) of Sandwich pipelines. The use of high grade steel pipes, as the internal or external pipes, has also been considered as one of the design parameters in this study. Moreover, a comprehensive parametric study, considering a practical range of the parameters that influence the response of SPs (and considering 3840 SP configurations) was conducted. The results from this large array of pipes were used to formulate a practical equation, capable of estimating the plastic buckling pressure of SPs. The accuracy of the proposed equation was evaluated by comparing the results with the experimental and numerical results available in the literature. The comparative results demonstrated that the proposed equation could predict the buckling capacity of such pipes with a reasonable accuracy. Furthermore, the proposed equation was used, along with a general optimization procedure, to establish the most optimum and cost-effective combination of structural parameters for SPs suitable for use in various water depths.     

An inverse finite element method for the analysis of VIV data

This paper presents an algorithm for the frequency domain solution of dynamic linear “inverse” problems, that is for the processing of measurement data (strain, acceleration etc.) acquired on a mechanical structure, in order to estimate the loads acting on the structure and its corresponding response. The problem is formulated as a constrained (force equilibrium) optimization (small deviations from measurements, small loads) problem, which is transformed into an unconstrained problem, then into differential equations. The algorithm is applied to the estimation of hydrodynamic forces induced by the shedding of vortices from an offshore oil riser.     

Axisymmetric structural behaviours of composite tensile armoured flexible pipes

To address the weight and corrosion challenge in deep-water, replacing the steel tensile armour in flexible pipes with composite materials is an alternative conceptual approach. An axisymmetric structural responses model is built for this novel composite armoured flexible pipe, with interlayer gaps that may occur in the unbonded structure considered through an iterative algorithm. The tensile strength of steel and composite armoured pipes are predicted based on different constitutive relations of steel and composite. Essential quantities are obtained, such as tensile stiffness, deformations of each layer and interlayer gaps or contact pressures. Considering the helix form of carcass and pressure armour, a finite element model is established for the verification of the theoretical model. Case study shows that the tensile stiffness of flexible pipe is overestimated with the interlayer gap ignored. Compared with steel armoured flexible pipe, the composite armoured pipe, whose tensile stiffness decreases less as external pressure increases, meanwhile has higher values of tensile ultimate strength and torsion stiffness. Some suggestions about fiber types and volume fraction for composite tensile strips are given to ensure good performance of axial tensile strength and stiffness.     

破损船体极限强度非线性有限元分析

本文基于通用有限元系统,结合船体破损机理和初始缺陷处理方法,建立船体极限强度非线性有限元分析的完整框架.利用对水面舰船和双壳油船极限强度模型试验的比较验证,合理解决非线性有限元分析的关键技术,并对完整和破损船体极限强度进行非线性有限元法分析.然后,在模型试验和非线性有限元分析的基础上提出面向设计的适合破损船体和双向弯曲状态的船体极限强度分析的改进解析方法.     

Predicting the wet collapse pressure for flexible risers with initial ovalization and gap: An analytical solution

As offshore hydrocarbon production moves towards ultra-deep water, flexible risers have to withstand the huge hydro-static pressure without collapse. They are designed with strong collapse capacities, allowing them to operate under the condition where their annuli are flooded by the seawater. However, initial imperfections can weaken the collapse capacity under such a flooded condition, triggering the so-called “wet collapse”. Two common initial imperfections, the carcass ovality and the radial gap between the carcass and pressure armor, would reduce the collapse strength of flexible risers significantly. Mostly, collapse analyses are performed through numerical simulations, which are less feasible for the design stage of flexible risers comparing with analytical models. To date, there are few analytical models available in public literature to predict the wet collapse pressure of flexible risers accounting for initial ovality and gap. To meet this demand, an analytical model is established in this paper to address these issues. This model is developed as a spring-supported arch, solving the collapse pressure with stability theories of ring and arched structures. This analytical model is verified by numerical simulations, which gives prediction results that correlate well with the numerical ones.     

不连续问题的扩展有限元法分析

改进的扩展有限元不需要经过后处理可以直接求得应力强度因子,从而为动态不连续问题的分析提供了便利.研究表明:不连续区域附近的积分方案,特别是裂尖区域的积分方案,对结果精度影响很大.文中采用一种新的积分方案对裂尖和裂缝贯穿单元进行积分,既方便积分,又可以减少计算量.采用改进的扩展有限元模拟了裂纹扩展.对于闭合裂缝,必须考虑缝面间的接触条件;裂缝面间若采用完全接触,得到的结点加强自由度近似为零.由于避免了传统有限元方法中的网格重构,改进的扩展有限元在静态和动态不连续问题分析方面具有广阔的应用前景.     

RFID wireless system for detection of water in the annulus of a flexible pipe

Corrosive environments are responsible for the highest degree of degradation and failure in marine structures. The presence of sea water in marine structures such as flexible pipes can cause a significant reduction in their operational life, especially when associated with permeated gases, which could lead to corrosion related failure mechanisms such as corrosion-fatigue and hydrogen cracking. The ingress of sea water into flexible pipes can occur either due to ruptures in their external polymeric sheath or to permeation of condensed water from the pipe bore. This event since flooding of the so-called annular space of flexible pipes is the trigger for all knows corrosion assisted failure modes, it is clear that a system that is able to reliably detect the presence of water in the structure is highly desirable. This work will describe a radio frequency identification (RFID) system designed for this purpose; it relies on the measurement of shifts in the resonance frequency of specially-designed tags which would be inserted within the layers of the flexible pipe during manufacturing. This paper shows the design and validation process of these tags and also of a reader which is meant to be scanned along the outside surface of the pipe by a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV). The study was performed through a finite element analysis and a test in which the tags were inserted within a full-scale mock-up of a flexible riser, which was then flooded with synthetic seawater. Results show that the shift in response due to sea water is clearly identifiable and distinguishable from other effects.     

功率流有限元法结果分析辐射噪声

使用"功率流有限元法"(PFFEM)分析结果发展声辐射预测程序."功率流有限元法"是一种预测任意形状结构中高频振动能量密度和强度的新方法,而边界元法可用于声辐射预测.两者结合可以进一步计算远场辐射声压.用此程序,对水下复杂结构-点力激励下潜艇的振动和声辐射特性进行了预测,获得了良好效果.     

Study on the preciseness of hot spot stress of web-stiffened cruciform welded joints derived from shell finite element analyses

A new simple and accurate shell FE-based structural Hot Spot Stress (HSS) determination method for web-stiffened cruciform joints has been proposed. Local stress of welded joints in full-scale bulk carrier (BC)’s lower stool models subject to bending and pressure loadings are examined. HSSs determined by the proposed method are compared with those derived by Lotsberg’s method and the conventional 0.5t-1.5t extrapolation. As results, following are found:

(1)

The local stress of full-scale BC lower stool models with various stool angle and plate thickness can be calculated accurately solely from shell FE results by means of the proposed method.

(2)

HSSs of welded joints in full-scale BC lower stool models subject to bending and pressure loadings derived by the proposed method show good agreement with the target HSSs determined from fine solid models. This demonstrates the validity of the proposed method for actual ship structures under the real load.

(3)

The excessive safety allowance of HSS determined by the conventional 0.5t-1.5t extrapolation can be reduced substantially by adopting Lotsberg’s method or our proposal. The proposed HSS determination method gives more accurate estimates compared to Lotsberg’s method under the conditions chosen, and the application range of the proposed method is equal to or wider than Lotsberg’s method.

     

基于CSR有限元分析球扁钢等效方法研究

基于CSR的油船有限元分析中,球扁钢不可以直接进行疲劳及屈曲计算,需将其等效为L型材或T型材。规范要求保证等效前后横剖面面积及惯性矩特性与原球扁钢相同。而且在利用PULS进行加筋板屈曲计算时对其加强筋（如扁钢、L型材及T型材）有尺寸比例限制。依据上述要求建立了球扁钢等效优化模型,并采用相应优化算法进行求解。实例计算结果表明,所用方法基本保证了等效结果满足规范要求,并可以进行屈曲计算,达到工程应用要求。     

考虑泥沙淤积影响的高桩码头三维有限元分析

泥沙淤积将影响高桩码头的正常使用。为掌握泥沙淤积对高桩码头基桩的影响规律,借助有限元分析方法,结构与土均按三维实体单元建模,桩土间设置接触单元考虑桩土相互作用,采用单元生死近似考虑泥沙淤积过程,岩土参数采用实测位移资料进行校准。分析结果表明,泥沙淤积引起的附加土压力将使最大弯矩出现在基桩顶部,且大部分为陆侧受拉,最危险截面出现在桩头向海的桩顶附近;对泥沙进行清淤处理后,将明显改善基桩受力状态,极大降低淤积对基桩造成的不利影响。