Buckling of ring stiffened domes under external hydrostatic pressure

The paper reports on the buckling of three ring-stiffened prolate domes under external hydrostatic pressure. The study was partly theoretical and partly experimental, where in the case of the latter, the finite element was used. Comparison between experiment and theory was good. The effect of ring stiffening the domes was to increase their buckling resistances by factors varying from 4.43 to 5.72.     

Inelastic instability of circular corrugated cylinders under external hydrostatic pressure

The paper presents an experimental study on six circular corrugated cylinders which were tested to destruction under external hydrostatic pressure. The results obtained from these vessels, together with the results obtained from elsewhere, were used to provide a design chart. The design chart appears to be suitable for designing these vessels to guard against inelastic instability.     

The buckling of GRP hemi-ellipsoidal dome shells under external hydrostatic pressure

The paper reports on a theoretical and an experimental investigation into six GRP hemi-ellipsoidal dome shells, which were tested to destruction under external hydrostatic pressure. All six domes were of oblate shape and of three different aspect ratios. Each aspect ratio consisted of two dome shells, one made from two layers of glass fibre and one made from three layers of glass fibre. The theoretical analysis was via the finite element method where a non-linear theory was used which allowed for both geometrical and material non-linearity. Comparison between theory and experiment was good.     

On elastic-plastic collapse of subsea pipelines under external hydrostatic pressure and denting force

This paper presents analytical and numerical researches on the buckling or collapse of offshore pipelines under external hydrostatic pressure. Firstly the case of homogeneous ring model is investigated followed by a detailed study on corroded rings. The elastic-plastic collapse pressure could be treated as the least root of an elementary function. We prove that collapse pressure is a strictly increasing function of mode number in this paper and present some interesting structures of the roots. Partially corroded ring is parametrized by corrosion depth and angle extent. A comprehensive comparison shows that plasticity should not be neglected when the ring is thick-walled. Moreover, a study on large deflection deformation of 3D cylindrical shells quasi-statically dented under constant external pressure is carried out theoretically and numerically. The buckle propagation pressure is shown to be a meaningful value to normalize external pressure. This paper serves to enhance the understanding of destabilizing effect of external pressure mainly applicable and relevant to subsea offshore industry.     

The buckling of a corrugated carbon fibre cylinder under external hydrostatic pressure

A theoretical and an experimental investigation was carried out, where a carbon fibre corrugated circular cylinder was tested to destuction under external hydrostatic pressure. The theoretical investigation was via the finite element method, where the structure was modelled with several orthotropic axisymmetric thin-walled shell elements. The experimental observations were aided with strategically placed strain gauges. Comparison between theory and experiment showed that the experimentally observed buckling pressure was a little lower than the theoretical prediction. This may have been due to the fact that the model had slight initial geometrical imperfections in the circumferenential direction.     

Inelastic shell instability of thin-walled circular cylinders under external hydrostatic pressure

This paper reports on experimental work carried out on nine thin-walled circular cylinders which were tested to destruction under external hydrostatic pressure. Seven of the cylinders failed through non-symmetric bifurcation buckling and two failed through axisymmetric collapse. The results were used from these tests, together with the results from other experiments, to produce a design chart which could be used for designing against the occurence of elastic and inelastic shell instability.     

Effects of hydrostatic pressure on microbial alteration of sinking fecal pellets

We used a new experimental device called PASS (PArticle Sinking Simulator) during MedFlux to simulate changes in in situ hydrostatic pressure that particles experience sinking from mesopelagic to bathypelagic depths. Particles, largely fecal pellets, were collected at 200 m using a settling velocity NetTrap (SV NetTrap) in Ligurian Sea in April 2006 and incubated in high-pressure bottles (HPBs) of the PASS system under both atmospheric and continuously increasing pressure conditions, simulating the pressure change experienced at a sinking rate of 200 m d⁻¹. Chemical changes over time were evaluated by measuring particulate organic carbon (POC), carbohydrates, transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), amino acids, lipids, and chloropigments, as well as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved carbohydrates. Microbial changes were evaluated microscopically, using diamidinophenylindole (DAPI) stain for total cell counts and catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) for phylogenetic distinctions. Concentrations (normalized to POC) of particulate chloropigments, carbohydrates and TEP decreased under both sets of incubation conditions, although less under the increasing pressure regime than under atmospheric conditions. By contrast, dissolved carbohydrates (normalized to DOC) were higher after incubation and significantly higher under atmospheric conditions, suggesting they were produced at the expense of the particulate fraction. POC-normalized particulate wax/steryl esters increased only under pressure, suggesting biochemical responses of prokaryotes to the increasing pressure regime. The prokaryotic community initially consisted of 43% Bacteria, 12% Crenarchaea and 11% Euryarchaea. After incubation, Bacteria dominated (90%) the prokaryote community in all cases, with γ-Proteobacteria comprising the greatest fraction, followed by the Cytophaga–Flavobacter cluster and α-Proteobacteria group. Using the PASS system, we obtained chemical and microbial evidence that degradation by prokaryotes associated with fecal pellets sinking through mesopelagic waters is limited by the increasing pressure they experience.     

Plastic buckling of ring-stiffened conical shells under external hydrostatic pressure

The paper describes experimental tests carried out on three ring-stiffened cones that were tested to destruction under external hydrostatic pressure. The cones were carefully machined from EN1A Steel. All three cones failed by plastic non-symmetric bifurcation buckling in a mode commonly known as general instability. In this mode the entire ring-shell combination buckles bodily.The paper also provides a design chart using the results obtained from these three vessels, together with the results of six other vessels obtained from other tests. The design chart allows the possibility of obtaining a plastic knock down factor, so that the theoretical buckling pressures, based on elastic theory, can be divided by the plastic knockdown factor, to give the predicted buckling pressure. This method can also be used for the design of full-scale vessels.     

Vibration of a thin-walled prolate dome under external water pressure

The paper reports on a theoretical and an experimental investigation carried out on a thin-walled hemi-ellipsoidal prolate dome in air and also under external water pressure. The investigation found that there was good correlation between experiment and theory. The theoretical investigation was carried out using the finite element analysis to model both the structure and the fluid. The theoretical investigation used two different programs, one of which was the giant computer program ANSYS and the other was an in-house program developed by Ross. For the shell structure, the ANSYS program used 2 different doubly curved thin-walled shell elements, while the in-house program used a simpler axisymmetric thin-walled shell element. This axisymmetric element allowed a sinusoidal variation of the displacements in the circumferential direction, thus, decreasing preparation and computational time. Agreement between the 3 different finite elements was found to be good. This was found particularly encouraging for the in-house software, as it only took a few hours to set up the computer model, and a few seconds to analyse the vessel, whereas the ANSYS software took several weeks to set up the computer model, and several minutes to analyse the shell dome. The ANSYS software, however, did have the advantage in producing excellent graphical displays in both the pre-processing and post-processing modes.     

The vibration of a large ring-stiffened prolate dome under external water pressure

The paper presents a theoretical and an experimental investigation into the free vibration of a large ring-stiffened prolate dome in air and under external water pressure.The theoretical investigation was via the finite element method where a solid fluid mesh with an isoparametric cross-section was used to model the water surrounding the dome, and a truncated conical shell and ring stiffener were used to model the structure. Good agreement was found between theory and experiment. Both the theory and the experiment found that as the external water pressure was increased the resonant frequencies decreased.     

Collapse of dome cup ends under external hydrostatic pressure

An experimental investigation was carried out in which four dome cup ends were tested to failure under external hydrostatic pressure. The collapse pressures of the dome cup ends were compared with that of a conventional dome cap end. The investigation revealed that the dome cup ends were structurally more efficient than the conventional dome cap ends. All the vessels were made from the same batch of glass fibre matting and associated material.     

Inelastic buckling of thick-walled circular conical shells under external hydrostatic pressure

The paper reports on a theoretical and an experimental study into the collapse of three thick-walled circular conical shells, which were tested to failure under external hydrostatic pressure. All three vessels failed by plastic non-symmetric bifurcation buckling. Two theoretical analyses were carried out, both based on the finite element method. One of the theoretical analyses was based on inelastic non-symmetric bifurcation buckling and the other analysis was based on plastic axisymmetric buckling. Both of these theoretical analysis and the experimental observations appeared to indicate that there is a link between plastic non-symmetric bifurcation buckling and plastic axisymmetric buckling.     

The buckling and vibration of tube-stiffened axisymmetric shells under external hydrostatic pressure

The paper reports on a theoretical and an experimental investigation into the buckling and vibration of prolate hemi-ellipsoidal tube-stiffened domes under external water pressure. The theoretical analyses were via the finite element method, where both the fluid and the structure were modelled with finite elements. The dome was modelled with a varying meridional curvature element and with eight displacement degrees of freedom and the water was modelled by solid annular elements where each element had eight pressure degrees of freedom in its cross-section. Comparison was good between experiment and theory.     

Buckling of multi-segment underwater pressure hull

Results of a numerical and experimental study into buckling performance of multi-segment pressure hull subjected to uniform hydrostatic pressure are discussed. Constituents of multi-segment configurations are bowed-out cylindrical shells with, and without flanges. Details about five collapse tests of laboratory scale mild steel, CNC machined models are given. Segments were about 200 mm diameter, 100 mm long and had uniform wall thickness of 3 mm. Experimental collapse pressures were in the range from 12 to 20 MPa. Numerical collapse pressures agreed well with those obtained during experiments.     

The buckling of plastic oblate hemi-ellipsoidal dome shells under external hydrostatic pressure

The paper presents a theoretical and an experimental investigation into the buckling of seven oblate hemi-ellipsoidal dome shells under external hydrostatic pressure. Four of the shells were made in glass reinforced plastic and three were made from a thermosetting plastic called solid urethane plastic. All the vessels were tested to destruction. The theoretical study was made with the aid of a non-linear finite element solution, where both geometrical and material non-linearity were allowed for. Good agreement was found between experiment and theory for all the vessels. The very oblate domes failed axisymmetrically. Theoretical convergence was good for the more oblate domes but it was not as good as for the less oblate domes. This may have been because the less oblate domes did not fail in a classical axisymmetric manner as was expected. This work is of much importance in ocean engineering.     

A design chart for the plastic collapse of corrugated cylinders under external pressure

The paper presents a theoretical and an experimental investigation into the plastic collapse of circular steel corrugated cylinders under external hydrostatic pressure. The experimental investigation gives a detailed study of 9 steel corrugated cylinders which were tested to destruction. Six of these cylinders failed by plastic non-symmetric bifurcation buckling and three failed by plastic axisymmetric deformation. The results of these tests were used, together with the results obtained from previous tests, to present a design chart for the plastic collapse of these vessels. The design chart was obtained by a semi-empirical approach, where the thinness ratios of the vessels were plotted against their plastic knockdown factors. The process of using the design chart is to calculate the theoretical elastic instability pressure for a perfect vessel by the finite element method and also to calculate the thinness ratio for this vessel. Using the appropriate value of the thinness ratio, the plastic knockdown factors are obtained from the design chart. To obtain the actual collapse pressure of the vessel, the theoretical elastic instability pressure for a perfect vessel is divided by the plastic knockdown factor. This work is of importance in ocean engineering. A large safety factor must also be introduced.     

Hydromechanical behavior of radially multilayered cylinders under time-varying loads

ABSTRACT

Geotechnical strata are often treated as horizontally homogeneous for hydromechanical analysis due to the vertical deposition of geological layers; however, such a treatment becomes no longer valid when vertical drilling or construction causes the localized disturbance of subsurface, which would result in radial heterogeneity of geomaterials. This paper presents a poroelastic solution for the saturated multilayered cylinder where multilayer is used to represent radial heterogeneity. After the application of Laplace transform, the governing equations in cylindrical coordinates are derived to obtain the stiffness matrix between stresses, displacements, and pore water pressure. The global matrix is assembled by the boundary conditions and the compatibility of interfaces between adjacent layers. Under time-dependent horizontal compression loads, a parametric study is performed for a cylinder comprised of two layers with distinct properties, and the results show that the load frequency and radial heterogeneity play a significant role in hydromechanical behavior of geomaterials: (1) the time-varying loading can induce a negative pore pressure, and the influence of cyclic loading with a high frequency is limited near the outer surface; (2) the radial heterogeneity due to permeability and compressibility affects the development of pore pressure.     

A finite element model of interaction between viscous free surface waves and submerged cylinders

This paper describes the simulation of the flow of a viscous incompressible Newtonian liquid with a free surface. The Navier–Stokes equations are formulated using a streamline upwind Petrov–Galerkin scheme, and solved on a Q-tree-based finite element mesh that adapts to the moving free surface of the liquid. Special attention is given to fitting the mesh correctly to the free surface and solid wall boundaries. Fully non-linear free surface boundary conditions are implemented. Test cases include sloshing free surface motions in a rectangular tank and progressive waves over submerged cylinders.     

Stability of seawalls using modified pseudo-dynamic method under earthquake conditions

By using the modified pseudo-dynamic method for submerged soils this paper explores the seismic stability of seawall for the active condition of earth pressure. Different forces such as seismic active earth pressure, seismic inertia forces of the wall, non-breaking wave pressure, hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressures are considered in the stability analysis. Limit equilibrium has been used, and expressions for the factor of safety against sliding and overturning mode of failure have been proposed. The proposed methodology overcomes the limitations of existing pseudo-dynamic method for submerged soils. A detailed parametric study has been conducted by varying different parameters and results are presented in the form of design charts for computation of factor of safety against sliding and overturning mode of failures. It was noticed that the influences of soil friction angle, seismic acceleration coefficient, wall inclination and excess pore pressure are significant when compared to the other parameters. The value of factor of safety against the sliding mode of failure is increasing by about 62% when the value of soil frictional angle is increased from 30° to 40°. It was also found that the factor of safety against overturning mode of failure is decreasing by about 22% as the value of excess pore pressure ratio increases from 0 to 0.75. The proposed method with closed-form solutions can be used for the seismic design of seawalls.     

Prediction of impact pressure induced by breaking waves on vertical cylinders in random seas

This paper presents a method to statistically predict the magnitude of impact pressure (including extreme values) produced by deep water waves breaking on a circular cylinder representing a column of an ocean structure. Breaking waves defined here are not those whose tops are blown off by the wind but those whose breaking is associated with steepness. The probability density function of wave period associated with breaking waves is derived for a specified wave spectrum, and then converted to the probability density function of impact pressure. Impacts caused by two different breaking conditions are considered; one is the impact associated with waves breaking in close proximity to the column, the other is an impact caused by waves approaching the column after they have broken. As an example of the application of the present method, numerical computations are carried out for a wave spectrum obtained from measured data in the North Atlantic.