A finite element methodology for birdcaging analysis of flexible pipes with damaged outer layers

Flexible pipes are commonly exposed to damages on the outer layers due to abrasion with seafloor or improper installation and operation, which may render them vulnerable to birdcaging failures. This paper presents a finite element model for the residual axial compressive strength evaluation of a flexible pipe with local damage on the outer layers. The elastoplastic nonlinearity of tensile armour steel layers and hyperelasticity of polymeric outer sheath are taken into account. This model is verified against existing test data. Parametric studies are then performed by varying the damage size in either the pipe axial or circumferential directions. The flexible pipe axial resistance, deformations, as well as the tensile armour wires layers stress states near the damaged section under different damage and axial compression conditions are discussed. The case studies show that damage on the outer layer, especially the anti-birdcage tape layer, is highly detrimental to flexible pipe residual strength against axial compression. The present results and discussions are instructive in understanding the flexible pipe birdcaging mechanism.     

Buckle propagation of damaged SHCC sandwich pipes: Experimental tests and numerical simulation

Sandwich pipe (SP) combining high-strength performance and thermal insulation has been considered an effective solution for oil and gas transportation in ultra-deepwater. Strain hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) is well known for its capacity to withstand both tensile load and external hydrostatic pressure. The sandwich pipe considered in the research is constituted of concentric steel pipes with SHCC annular layer. In the present research work, the SHCC was manufactured, and full scale sandwich pipes were assembled. Intact and damaged specimens were submitted to controlled external pressure in a hyperbaric chamber to obtain the collapse and propagation pressures, respectively. Modeling and simulation of the buckle propagation of the SPs were correlated with the experimental results. The results show that sandwich pipe with SHCC core has an excellent structural strength under high external pressure in both intact and damaged conditions. Moreover, the results also show that the interaction between the annular and the inner/outer pipes provides a significant contribution to the buckling resistance under propagation pressure.     

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 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.     

On the effect of the ply stacking sequence on the failure of composite pipes under external pressure

The use of high performance structural composites has become very important over the last decades, especially where weight is an essential factor. Particularly in the oil and gas industry, several designs of composite pipes for deep water applications have been recently proposed as competitive solutions against traditional steel pipes. Thus, it is important to assess the performance of composite pipes under high external pressure in order to avoid pipe failure or overconservative designs. In this paper, experimental tests of different composite pipe configurations are performed and then compared to analytical and numerical predictions. Unlike the case of internal pressure loads, the collapse pressure of composite pipes depends on the initial ovality and on the ply stacking sequence. The collapse resistance of different composite pipes is firstly studied through simplified analytical equations combined with different failure criteria. Then, a finite element model is developed using a progressive failure criterion [1]. Both analytical and numerical failure predictions were compared to experimental tests carried out on four composite pipes produced with different ply stacking sequence by the filament winding method [2]. An experimental-numerical-analytical comparison shows that numerical and analytical models provide results in good agreement with those obtained experimentally. Finally, a parametric analysis is carried out to show the effect of ovality and ply stacking sequence on the failure pressure of composite pipes.     

船用复合材料管路振动特性试验研究

为研究船舶中复合材料充液管路的减振特性,首先采用几何尺寸相同的复合材料直管和钢直管进行振动响应对比分析。通过直管的四端阻抗测试,获得2种材料直管的传递矩阵,对比分析复合材料管路与钢管的振动传递损失。然后对2种材料直管进行自由边界下的模态测试,获取管路的阻尼系数。试验结果表明:在满足输水性能和结构强度的前提下,复合材料管路只是同几何尺寸钢管质量的一半,复合材料管的固有模态频率要低于钢管,模态阻尼系数却远大于钢管。在2500 Hz内复合材料管的横向振动传递损失优于钢管;而轴向传递损失在低频段要劣于钢管,高频段又优于钢管。因此在减振性能上,复合材料管更利于振动能量在传播过程中的衰减。研究成果可为复合材料在船舶充液管路减振降噪中的应用提供参考。     

钢带软管内压和弯曲研究

复合材料管已成为管道发展的热点和趋势。文中对钢带软管在同时受到内压和弯曲组合载荷作用下的力学性能进行了研究。基于建立的钢带软管的环向和径向力学平衡方程,提出了不同弯曲半径下该种类型管道的爆破压力理论计算方法。文中还进行了有限元数值模拟,并与理论计算结果对比分析,分析结果表明文中提出的爆破压力计算方法可作为此类管在同时受到内压及弯曲组合载荷作用下的通用算法,为解决此类工程问题提供重要参考。     

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.     

Bending behavior modeling of unbonded flexible pipes considering tangential compliance of interlayer contact interfaces and shear deformations

Rigorous analytical formulations are given to describe the gross slip initiation and progression in tensile armor layers of unbonded flexible pipes. Then two mechanisms are thought to contribute to the decrease of layer stiffness before gross slip begins. The first one considers the micro-slip occurred at the interlayer contact interfaces. The relative displacement between an armor wire and the underlying layer is determined according to the theory of contact mechanics. Shear deformations of the supporting plastic layer are taken into account in the other mechanism where plane sections no longer remain plane. The results of bending moment-curvature relationship from the presented models are compared with the available test data and good correlations are found. The shear model is seen to describe the slip transition better than other models do.     

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.     

弧形体挠性接管力学模型及平衡性研究

提出了新型弧形挠性接管结构模型,建立了弧形挠性接管数学模型,对其进行了内压作用下的应力分析;对弧形挠性接管平衡性进行了深入研究,推导出管体骨架缠绕的平衡角公式,并对平衡角公式的正确性进行了验证.     

Mechanical model and mechanical property analysis of fibre-reinforced hybrid composite pipes

Compared to conventional fibre-reinforced composite pipes, fibre-reinforced hybrid composite pipes are more complex and are characterised by the use of hybrid fibres, hybrid matrices, and multiple fibre winding angles. In this study, based on the mechanical model of conventional fibre-reinforced composite pipes, the cross-section division method, the radial pressure on the adjacent layer by spiral wound rope structures, and the calculation method of axial force in each layer were improved. Furthermore, the von Mises stresses in each layer were calculated to discriminate the failure to establish a mechanical model of fibre-reinforced hybrid composite pipes with any number of reinforced layers under axial tension, internal pressure, and external pressure. Experimental data and the finite element method (FEM) were used to verify the reliability of the established model, with the axial tensile mechanical properties analysed based on the established model. The results showed that the large-angle fibres no longer withstood the axial tensile load when the winding angle of the large-angle fibres was greater than 45°. The matrices yielding was much earlier than the fibre breakage. The matrices hybrid methods have a large influence on the axial tensile properties of fibre-reinforced hybrid composite pipes, and improving the material properties of the inner and outer liners can significantly improve the axial tensile properties of fibre-reinforced hybrid composite pipes.     

无粘结柔性管抗拉伸层结构分析

柔性管抗拉伸层是复杂的空间螺旋线结构,其结构响应分析对柔性管疲劳分析、强度分析和屈曲分析有重要作用。文章基于曲梁理论,应用斜驶螺旋线假设和测地线假设两种空间曲线公式,以空间细长杆理论及胡克定律本构方程为基础,采用格林应变张量与第二Kirchoff应力张量度量,对深海无粘结柔性管抗拉伸层螺旋形钢缆结构平衡方程进行了推导,编写了分析程序。利用该程序,分析了抗拉伸层钢缆在轴对称载荷下和弯矩作用下的曲率变化和结构响应;同时利用三维直梁有限元模型与曲梁有限元模型建立数值模型,将程序结果与数值模拟模型结果进行了对比,证明了结果可行性。该结果可为柔性管抗拉伸层结构设计提供快速的预估计方法。     

圆钢管混凝土柱低周反复加载试验研究

为了研究钢管混凝土柱在低周反复荷载作用下组合材料横截面刚度对其性能的影响,以果园港二期工程上的钢管混凝土柱为原型,对3根钢管混凝土柱进行低周反复加载试验。通过控制试件钢管厚度进行物理模型试验,研究钢管厚度对钢管混凝土柱耗能性能、承载性能、强度退化、刚度退化、延性和变形能力的影响。试验结果表明:随着试件钢管厚度的增加,试件的能量耗散系数与等效黏滞阻尼系数均随之减小,试件的耗能能力随之变弱;钢管厚度越小,钢管混凝土柱试件的耗能性能越好。钢管越厚,对核心混凝土的约束作用就越强,强度退化就越弱,试件塑性变形能力就越好。钢管越厚,外包钢管对核心混凝土约束作用就越强,水平承载能力越高。     

钢管桩桩头剪力键间距优化设计

在码头和深海工程中常采用剪力键连接钢管桩与上部结构,以提高钢管桩的承载力及结构整体性。剪力键的间距是影响钢管桩桩头受力性能的重要影响因素。以桩头带两个剪力键的钢管桩为研究对象,建立8组有限元模型,利用Gebman试验报告中的试验值与数模值进行对比。结果表明:1)试验值与数模值误差较小,且变化趋势一致。2)钢管桩承载力和钢管桩桩头复合刚度随着剪力键间距的增大先增加后减小,剪力键间距介于1. 0D～1. 2D时,钢管桩整体受力性能最好。3)剪力键的最优设计间距始终在1. 0D附近,随着桩径的增加,剪力键的最优设计间距可适当减小。其研究成果为实际工程中钢管桩桩头剪力键的设计提供了重要的参考。     

浅海双层铠装海底光缆破断拉力的计算

通过讨论浅海双层铠装海底光缆破断拉力的计算方法,比较破断拉力按照铠装钢丝计算及使用抗拉强度数学模型训计算两种方法,使用两种计算方法对浅海双层铠装海底光缆破断拉力进行了计算并分析了得出的结果.     

挠性接管对管壁弯曲振动的隔离性能分析

采用分析软件ANSYS就理想情况下袖套式挠性接管在不同的边界条件和布置情况下，对管路中沿管壁传播的弯曲振动的隔离性能分析表明，挠性接管在大部分频段上能有效的隔离弯曲振动，但也有可能使振动放大，这与其边界条件和布置情况密切相关，由此对挠性接管的布置安装提出建议.     

FEM-based evaluation of friction and initial imperfections effects on sandwich pipes local buckling

Sandwich pipes have been studied as one option to overcome the high pressure problems in deep and ultra-deep waters. They have become a possible alternative solution for submarine infrastructure due to its thermal insulation capacity. This contribute to preventing the pipeline from clogging due to the difference in temperature between reservoir fluids and water at the bottom of the sea. The pipelines in ultra-deepwater are continually exposed to severe operating conditions, such as the effect of high levels of external pressure that can cause local deformation or even collapse of the pipe. Thus, a greater understanding of the mechanical behavior of sandwich pipes is required. This paper presents a FEM-based evaluation of friction and initial imperfection effects on sandwich pipes local buckling. The non-linear evaluation was carried out in FEM of local buckling of two sandwich pipes, with polypropylene and cement as filled annular material. The influence of initial imperfections and the degree of friction, between the annular material and the steel pipes, as well as geometric variations of the pipe were considered. The numerical simulations results indicate a capacity to withstand ultra-deep waters collapsing pressures, around 3000 m, either for polypropylene or cement filled annular material model. In addition, the results indicate that the collapse pressure is inversely proportional to the increase in annular thickness and directly proportional to the decrease in friction which have an impact and contribution on the carrying capacity of the sandwich pipe. Further research will consider a design of experiments analysis of reported effects for different diameter-to-thickness ratios.     

Burst pressure of steel reinforced flexible pipe

The burst pressure of steel reinforced flexible pipe (SRFP) considering plasticity is investigated through experimental, theoretical and numerical methods. The results obtained from the aforementioned methods are in good agreement with each other, which illustrates the accuracy and reliability of the proposed theoretical and numerical models. The mechanical responses of PE layers and the steel strips are studied in detail, and the rationality of the strain uniformity assumption for the steel strip's cross section in the theoretical model is confirmed from its von Mises stress variation along the width at different points in FEM. Some influential parameters of SRFP on the burst pressure are also investigated in order to guide its cross-section design. The theoretical model and the FEM proposed in this paper can not only give an estimation to the safety and reliability of the pipe when it is subjected to internal pressure, but can also provide some reference for improving and optimizing its cross-section design.     

非粘合柔性管破段强度解析分析（英文）

This paper presents an analytical scheme for predicting the collapse strength of a flexible pipe, which considers the structural interaction between relevant layers. The analytical results were compared with a FEA model and a number of test data, and showed reasonably good agreement. The theoretical analysis showed that the pressure armor layer enhanced the strength of the carcass against buckling, though the barrier weakened this effect. The collapse strength of pipe was influenced by many factors such as the inner radius of the pipe, the thickness of the layers and the mechanical properties of the materials. For example, an increase in the thickness of the barrier will increase contact pressure and in turn reduce the critical pressure.