Flexible riser-bend stiffener top connection analytical model with I-tube

The flexible riser top connection to the floating unit is a critical region considering extreme loading and fatigue lifetime assessment and is generally protected by a bend stiffener to limit the curvature in this region. The top connection usually interface the floating unit with two main configurations: i) end-fitting and bend stiffener directly connected to a riser balcony or ii) riser connected to the floating unit in the end of an I-tube, which reduces the end-fitting bending loading, and bend stiffener assembled to a bellmouth with a given inclination in relation to the I-tube longitudinal axis. The traditional modeling approach considers the riser/bend stiffener system attached to the floating unit, representative of the first configuration. A more realistic modeling approach, capturing the complex interactions of flexible riser/bend stiffener with I-tube interface can be employed for preliminary assessment with less conservatism. In this work, a large deflection analytical beam model is developed for the riser top connection with I-tube considering the bellmouth transition region with a straight rigid surface followed by a curved section. The riser follows a nonlinear bending behavior described by a bilinear moment vs curvature function and the bend stiffener polyurethane material exhibits nonlinear elastic symmetric response represented by a power law function. It is assumed that there is no gap between the riser and the bend stiffener and the riser is fixed in the end-fitting position. The mathematical formulation of the statically indeterminate system results in three systems of coupled differential equations combined with the corresponding multipoint boundary conditions to be numerically solved by an iterative procedure. A case study is carried out with a 7” flexible riser protected by a bend stiffener connected to an inclined I-tube bellmouth. The system is subjected to extreme loading conditions and the influence of the sleeve shape and I-tube length on the riser curvature distribution, including the end-fitting position, and contact forces between the riser/sleeve and riser/bend stiffener sections are assessed.     

“天鲲号”超大型自航绞吸船辅钢桩门装置设计

针对自航绞吸船在艏部设置辅钢桩定位系统存在的影响航速等问题,“天鲲”号超大型自航绞吸挖泥船提出了在艏部设置钢桩门的解决方案。该解决方案不仅可以保持完整的艏部线型,减小航行阻力,而且还可以减小辅钢桩甲板作业空间。本文介绍了“天鲲”号辅钢桩门装置的设计方案,以及辅桩钢桩门结构设计,最后提出了辅钢桩门开闭油缸等关键设备的选型计算方法及选型结果。本文可为超大型自航绞吸式挖泥船的辅钢桩门装置的设计分析提供参考和设计思路。     

Bend stiffener linear viscoelastic thermo-mechanical analysis. Part I — Experimental characterization and mathematical formulation

Bend stiffeners are subjected to cyclic loading during offshore operation or when subjected to a controlled full-scale qualification test. Due to the viscoelastic nature of the polyurethane, energy is dissipated within the material volume and the structure may experience a temperature increase, a phenomenon known as self-heating. The top connection is a flexible riser critical region in terms of fatigue, being the bend stiffener the main responsible for curvature control. As the curvature distribution is highly affected by the nonlinear time–temperature bend stiffener response, a detailed thermo-mechanical assessment may become relevant for riser lifetime and polyurethane material failure assessment, specially during accelerated full-scale tests. In the present paper (Part I), the polyurethane experimental characterization and steady-state thermo-mechanical mathematical formulation are presented for the bend stiffener self-heating assessment. A steady-state formulation is derived for a temperature dependent linear viscoelastic large deflection beam model to estimate the heat generation during harmonic tip loading. The temperature field distribution is calculated through a three-dimensional steady-state thermal model considering the viscoelastic heat calculated from the mechanical model with an iterative scheme. Stress relaxation tests are performed at different temperatures to determine the viscoelastic properties followed by thermal properties characterization through differential scanning calorimetry and by the Flash method to determine the specific heat, thermal conductivity and diffusivity, respectively. In a companion paper (Part II) the iterative numerical scheme is detailed and a case study presented.     

铁路客运专线与公路并行区段柔性防护预留变形空间的研究

为保证高速列车的行车安全,必须建立防止异物入侵的安全防范体系。在铁路客运专线与公路并行区段采用柔性防护时,必须预留一定的变形空间,以保证受到异物冲击后的柔性防护网不侵入铁路建筑限界。通过有限元仿真计算和现场性能试验,准确把握柔性防护网在规定的冲击能量作用下的最大变形数据。仿真和试验结果表明:柔性防护网的最大变形量随着冲击能量的增大而增大,最大变形距离达1.8 m以上。建议设置在铁路客运专线与公路并行区段之间的柔性防护网,其垂直冲击能量设计标准取为:一般区段9.3×104J,加强区段1.7×105J;且柔性防护网预留变形空间的宽度以不小于2.0 m为宜。     

The impact of structural flexibilities of wheelsets and rails on the hunting behaviour of a railway vehicle

The hunting motion of a passenger coach is investigated using a multibody system in which the wheelsets and the rails can be modelled as flexible bodies. By comparing the results for different model variants, in which the structural flexibilities of the wheelsets and of the rails are either taken into account or neglected, the impact of the flexibilities is analysed. It turns out that the flexibilities of both the wheelsets and the rails have a significant impact on the hunting behaviour by increasing the lateral motions of the wheelsets and lowering the critical speed. In order to investigate the impact of the flexibilities under different operating conditions, the calculations are carried out for track geometries using different rail profiles (60E1, 60E2) and different rail cants (1:40, 1:20) and for different values for the friction coefficient (0.25…0.4) at the wheel–rail contact. The results show that the influence of the flexibilities is the strongest for high lateral forces, which occur e.g. for contact geometries leading to high hunting frequencies and for high values of the friction coefficient. The results also show in some cases a strong impact of the flexibilities on the position of the wheel–rail contact on the running surface of the rail, which is of particular interest with respect to wear simulation.     

Method for obtaining the wheel–rail contact location and its application to the normal problem calculation through ‘CONTACT’

This work presents a robust methodology for calculating inter-penetration areas between railway wheel and rail surfaces, the profiles of which are defined by a series of points. The method allows general three-dimensional displacements of the wheelset to be considered, and its characteristics make it especially suitable for dynamic simulations where the wheel–rail contact is assumed to be flexible. The technique is based on the discretisation of the geometries of the surfaces in contact, considering the wheel as a set of truncated cones and the rail as points. By means of this approach, it is possible to reduce the problem to the calculation of the intersections between cones and lines, the solution for which has a closed-form expression. The method has been used in conjunction with the CONTACT algorithm in order to solve the static normal contact problem when the lateral displacement of the wheelset, its yaw angle and the vertical force applied in the wheelset centroid are prescribed. The results consist of smooth functions when the dependent coordinates are represented as a function of the independent ones, lacking the jump discontinuities that are present when a rigid contact model is adopted. Example results are shown and assessed for the normal contact problem for different lateral and yaw positions of the wheelset on the track.     

高载荷气缸盖刚度和强度的分析研究

以承受20 MPa爆发压力的铝合金气缸盖为研究对象进行结构设计开发。采用有限元仿真分析的方法对5种不同方案的气缸盖刚度和强度进行数值模拟,并在综合性能较好的F0方案气缸盖上开展电测试验和疲劳试验。结果表明,气缸盖主承力结构的调整对气缸盖各处最大主应力有不同的影响规律;F0方案气缸盖具有一定的高周疲劳可靠性;电测试验结果与仿真结果基本吻合,验证了仿真分析方法的正确性;疲劳试验验证了优化后的气缸盖可满足20 MPa爆发压力的设计需求。     

Parametric analysis of wheel wear in high-speed vehicles

In order to reduce the wheel profile wear of highspeed trains and extend the service life of wheels, a dynamic model for a high-speed vehicle was set up, in which the wheelset was regarded as flexible body, and the actual measured track irregularities and line conditions were considered. The wear depth of the wheel profile was calculated by the well-known Archard wear law. Through this model, the influence of the wheel profile, primary suspension stiffness, track gage, and rail cant on the wear of wheel profile were studied through multiple iterafive calculations. Numerical simulation results show that the type XP55 wheel profile has the smallest cumulative wear depth, and the type LM wheel profile has the largest wear depth. To reduce the wear of the wheel profile, the equivalent conicity of the wheel should not be too large or too small. On the other hand, a small primary vertical stiffness, a track gage around 1,435-1,438 mm, and a rail cant around 1：35-1：40 are beneficial for dynamic performance improvement and wheel wear alleviation.     

Evaluating Flexible Transport Solutions

Abstract

Flexible transport services (FTS) have been of increasing interest in developing countries as a bridge between the use of personal car travel and fixed route transit services. This paper reports on findings from a recent study in Queensland Australia, which identified lessons from an international review and implications for Australia. Potential strategic directions, including a vision, mission, key result areas, strategies, and identified means of measuring performance are described. Evaluation criteria for assessing flexible transport proposals were developed, and approaches to identifying and assessing needs and demands outlined. The use of emerging technologies is also a key element of successful flexible transport services.     

Theoretical and numerical analysis of bending behavior of unbonded flexible risers

This paper presents theoretical and numerical study on bending properties of unbonded flexible risers. To capture nonlinearities in layer's sliding, the stress component due to slip-stick behavior is considered and energy conservation principle considering sliding-caused heat consumption is employed in the analytical model. Besides, a finite element model estimating mechanics of unbonded flexible risers' bending is proposed. In the finite element model, couplings between bending moment–curvature and axial stress as well as contact interaction among layers and tendons have been considered. The theoretical and numerical results were validated against the corresponding experimental data in literature and mutually compared in analyzing nonlinear bending behavior of flexible risers. Moreover, the impacts of axisymmetric loads on riser's bending behavior have been further investigated.