On the response of flexible risers to loads imposed by hydraulic collars

Even though hydraulic collars are largely used to install flexible risers, neither the loads imposed by this equipment nor the response of the risers to these loads have been previously studied. Hence, this paper presents a three-dimensional nonlinear finite element (FE) model to predict the response of flexible risers to loads imposed by hydraulic collars and also provides a set of equations to predict these loads. The FE model relies on an analogy between helical tendons and orthotropic shells to simulate the inner carcass and the pressure armour of flexible risers. Shell elements are used to represent the polymeric layers and three-dimensional beam elements simulate the wires of the tensile armours. Material, geometric and contact nonlinearities are addressed. Contact interactions between the layers of the riser are handled by surface to surface contact elements with a contact detection algorithm based on the pinball technique and contact forces evaluated with the augmented Lagrangian method. A 9.5″ flexible riser is analyzed and the numerical results are compared to those from the experimental tests. The agreement between all results indicates that the proposed FE model is an efficient approach to predict the response of flexible risers to loads imposed by hydraulic collars and, moreover, may be used to analyze the response of such structures to other types of loads.     

Behavior of unbonded flexible risers subject to axial tension

Owing to nonlinear contact problems with slip and friction, a lot of limiting assumptions are made when developing analytical models to simulate the behavior of an unbonded flexible riser. Meanwhile, in order to avoid convergence problems and excessive calculating time associated with running the detailed finite element （FE） model of an unbonded flexible riser, interlocked carcass and zeta layers with complicated cross section shapes are replaced by simple geometrical shapes （e.g. hollow cylindrical shell） with equivalent orthotropic materials. But the simplified model does not imply the stresses equivalence of these two layers. To solve these problems, based on ABAQUS/Explicit, a numerical method that is suitable for the detailed FE model is proposed. In consideration of interaction among all component layers, the axial stiffness of an eight-layer unbonded flexible riser subjected to axial tension is predicted. Compared with analytical and experimental results, it is shown that the proposed numerical method not only has high accuracy but also can substantially reduce the calculating time. In addition, the impact of the lay angle of helical tendons on axial stiffness is discussed.     

Analytical and numerical modeling for flexible pipes

The unbonded flexible pipe of eight layers,in which all the layers except the carcass layer are assumed to have isotropic properties,has been analyzed.Specifically,the carcass layer shows the orthotropic characteristics.The effective elastic moduli of the carcass layer have been developed in terms of the influence of deformation to stiffness.With consideration of the effective elastic moduli,the structure can be properly analyzed.Also the relative movements of tendons and relative displacements of wires in helical armour layer have been investigated.A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model has been presented to predict the response of flexible pipes under axial force and torque.Further,the friction and contact of interlayer have been considered.Comparison between the finite element model and experimental results obtained in literature has been given and discussed,which might provide practical and technical support for the application of unbonded flexible pipes.     

An updated Lagrangian finite element formulation for large displacement dynamic analysis of three-dimensional flexible riser structures

An updated Lagrangian finite element formulation of a three-dimensional annular section beam element is presented for large displacement and large rotation dynamic analyses of flexible riser structures. In this formulation a new linearization method is used to avoid inaccuracies normally associated with other linearization schemes. The effects of buoyancy force as well as steady state current loading are considered in the finite element solution for riser structures response. The formulation has been implemented in a nonlinear finite element code and the results are compared with those obtained from other schemes reported in the literature.     

Hydroelastic analysis of flexible floating interconnected structures

Three-dimensional hydroelasticity theory is used to predict the hydroelastic response of flexible floating interconnected structures. The theory is extended to take into account hinge rigid modes, which are calculated from a numerical analysis of the structure based on the finite element method. The modules and connectors are all considered to be flexible, with variable translational and rotational connector stiffness. As a special case, the response of a two-module interconnected structure with very high connector stiffness is found to compare well to experimental results for an otherwise equivalent continuous structure. This model is used to study the general characteristics of hydroelastic response in flexible floating interconnected structures, including their displacement and bending moments under various conditions. The effects of connector and module stiffness on the hydroelastic response are also studied, to provide information regarding the optimal design of such structures.     

Nonlinear Static Finite Element Stress Analysis of Pipe-in-Pipe Risers

Owing to the complexity of the pipe-in-pipe (PIP) riser system in structure, load and restraint, many problems arise in the structural analysis of the system. This paper presents a new method for nonlinear static finite element stress analysis of the PIP riser system. The finite element (FE) model of the PIP riser system is built via software AutoPIPE 6.1. According to the specialties of a variety of components in the PIP riser system, different elements are used so as to model the system accurately. Allowing for the complication in modeling the effects of seabed restraint, a technique based on the bilinear spring concept is developed to calculate the soil properties. Then, based on a pipeline project, the entire procedure of stress analysis is discussed in detail, including creation of an FE model, processing of input data and analysis of results. A wide range of loading schemes is investigated to ascertain that the stresses remain within the acceptable range of the pipe material strength. Finally, the effects of the location of flanges, the thermal expansion of submarine pipelines and the seabed restraint on stress distribution in the riser and expansion loop are studied, which are valuable for pipeline designers.     

A vortex induced vibration of marine riser in waves

A marine riser transporting fluid in the Bohai Sea was selected as study object,using an experi-mental and numerical method to study its vortex induced vibration in waves. A similarity theory was used in the experiment to derive the experimental model from a practical model,the dy-namic response of a riser model was measured in waves. A corresponding numerical simulation was performed using a finite element method. Comparisons were made with the results between the experiment and the numerical simulation. Some valuable results were obtained.     

海洋柔性立管弯曲加强器参数敏感性分析

针对海洋立管弯曲加强器所受环境载荷与功能载荷的特点,基于有限元法对某海洋柔性立管弯曲加强器结构进行数值分析。通过有限元分析软件建立了弯曲加强器与柔性立管组合等效模型,重点讨论了弯曲加强器的设计参数对其自身防弯性能的影响,根据弯曲加强器的曲率及柔性立管的应力分布,对弯曲加强器结构进行优化设计,得到结论可供设计参考。     

Analytical and Numerical Models to Predict the Behavior of Unbonded Flexible Risers Under Torsion

This paper presents analytical and numerical models to predict the behavior of unbonded flexible risers under torsion. The analytical model takes local bending and torsion of tensile armor wires into consideration, and equilibrium equations of forces and displacements of layers are deduced. The numerical model includes lay angle, cross-sectional profiles of carcass, pressure armor layer and contact between layers. Abaqus/Explicit quasi-static simulation and mass scaling are adopted to avoid convergence problem and excessive computation time caused by geometric and contact nonlinearities. Results show that local bending and torsion of helical strips may have great influence on torsional stiffness, but stress related to bending and torsion is negligible; the presentation of anti-friction tapes may have great influence both on torsional stiffness and stress; hysteresis of torsion-twist relationship under cyclic loading is obtained by numerical model, which cannot be predicted by analytical model because of the ignorance of friction between layers.     

Experimental Study on Response Performance of VIV of A Flexible Riser with Helical Strakes

Laboratory tests were conducted on a flexible riser with and without helical strakes. The aim of the present work is to further understand the response performance of the vortex induced vibration (VIV) for a riser with helical strakes. The experiment was accomplished in the towing tank and the relative current was simulated by towing a flexible riser in one direction. Based on the modal analysis method, the displacement responses can be obtained by the measured strain. The strakes with different heights are analyzed here, and the response parameters like strain response and displacement response are studied. The experimental results show that the in-line (IL) response is as important as the cross-flow (CF) response, however, many industrial analysis methods usually ignore the IL response due to VIV. The results also indicate that the response characteristics of a bare riser can be quite distinct from that of a riser with helical strakes, and the response performance depends on the geometry on the helical strakes closely. The fatigue damage is further discussed and the results show that the fatigue damage in the CF direction is of the same order as that in the IL direction for the bare riser. However, for the riser with helical strakes, the fatigue damage in the CF direction is much smaller than that in the IL direction.     

Experimental Study on Response Performance of VIV of A Flexible Riser with Helical Strakes

Laboratory tests were conducted on a flexible riser with and without helical strakes. The aim of the present work is to further understand the response performance of the vortex induced vibration(VIV) for a riser with helical strakes. The experiment was accomplished in the towing tank and the relative current was simulated by towing a flexible riser in one direction. Based on the modal analysis method, the displacement responses can be obtained by the measured strain. The strakes with different heights are analyzed here, and the response parameters like strain response and displacement response are studied. The experimental results show that the in-line(IL) response is as important as the cross-flow(CF) response, however, many industrial analysis methods usually ignore the IL response due to VIV. The results also indicate that the response characteristics of a bare riser can be quite distinct from that of a riser with helical strakes, and the response performance depends on the geometry on the helical strakes closely. The fatigue damage is further discussed and the results show that the fatigue damage in the CF direction is of the same order as that in the IL direction for the bare riser. However, for the riser with helical strakes, the fatigue damage in the CF direction is much smaller than that in the IL direction.     

Validity and limitation of analytical models for the bending stress of a helical wire in unbonded flexible pipes

Unbonded flexible pipe is one of the important pieces of equipment in floating production systems for transport of oil and gas between floaters and subsea wells located in deep water. To assure safety over a long-term service period, analysis of fatigue behavior under alternative bending is a key requirement. An analytical model for prediction of bending behavior is essential for understanding the mechanism of the local stress distribution in the helical wires of the tension armor layers under alternative curvatures and rapid estimation of the service life of flexible pipes for designers in engineering practice. In this paper, seven analytical models available in the literature are selected and summarized. Although the experimental results reported in the literature are limited, a three-dimensional finite element model is developed for investigation of the seven models, and the validity and limitations of these models for different structural parameters of helical wire are discussed, i.e., the width-thickness ratio of the wire section and helical angle. The analytical model based on spring theory resulted in a satisfactory estimation of bending stress for most cases and is recommended as a tool for the basic design of the helical armor wire structures in flexible pipes.     

A Finite Element Method for Cracked Components of Structures

1 .IntroductionOffshoreplatformsarelargescalesteelorconcretestructures.Theyexperiencevariouskindsofdamagessuchasdents ,corrosionpits ,cracks ,deformation ,etc .,afteryearsofenvironmentalimpactofwinds ,waves ,currents ,soilreactions ,earthquakesandice (DuanandLiu ,1 995) .Thesafetyofthestructureshasalwaysbeenthemostimportantissueconcerned ,anditdependsontheassessmentoftheintegrityofthestructures,orspecificallyontheassessmentofthedamagesinthestructures .Riclesetal.( 1 994)experimentallyinvestig…     

A nonlinear viscoelastic bend stiffener steady-state formulation

Bend stiffeners are essential components of a flexible riser system, employed to ensure a smooth transition at the upper connection and to protect the riser against over bending and from accumulation of fatigue damage. The highly nonlinear rate dependent behavior of these structures directly affects the integrity assessment of the riser in one of its most critical regions, the top connection. A steady-state formulation (disregarding inertial forces) and numerical solution procedure is developed in this work employing the perturbation method for a nonlinear viscoelastic bend stiffener large deflection beam model subjected to harmonic loading conditions. For stochastic loading conditions, the response is calculated employing the superposition principle by summing up the steady-state result of a number of individual frequency components. A time domain formulation is also derived employing the state-variable approach for the numerical solution of the resulting hereditary integral in the governing equations. A case study is presented for the top connection system of a 4″ ID flexible riser using relaxation and tensile experimental data obtained from a typical class of bend stiffener polyurethane. Harmonic and stochastic input loading conditions are employed for time and frequency domain model comparison/validation and to assess loading history and frequency influence in the curvature response.     

VIV response of a long flexible riser fitted with strakes in uniform and linearly sheared currents

An experimental investigation was conducted on a flexible riser with and without various strake arrangements. The aim of the present work was to further improve the understanding of the response performance of the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a riser with helical strakes. Two current profiles, including uniform and linearly sheared flows, were simulated. The uniform current was simulated by towing the riser model in one direction using the towing carriage, and the linearly sheared current was simulated by fixing one end of the riser and using a driven cantilever to traverse a circular arc. Based on the modal superposition method, the displacement responses were obtained from the measured strain. Strakes with different heights and pitches were analysed, and response parameters such as the displacement response and fatigue damage were studied. The results of the bare model test show that the lock-in phenomenon displays multi-order characteristics, and the VIV displacement decreases with an increased order of the lock-in regime. The results of the straked model test indicate that the response characteristics of a bare riser can be quite distinct from those of a riser with helical strakes, and the response performance depends closely on the geometry of the strake configuration.     

脐带缆螺旋滑移分析及力学性能研究

针对脐带缆内部螺旋层,应用Darboux标架建立螺旋结构空间坐标系,推导弯曲载荷下螺旋结构的局部变形和滑移。考虑螺旋构件间的接触和摩擦作用,建立螺旋结构的受力平衡偏微分方程,并研究螺旋角和摩擦系数对螺旋结构滑移的影响。基于同层螺旋结构本构关系相同假设,将所有螺旋结构力学性能线性叠加,拟合脐带缆整体弯曲刚度。运用建立的理论解析方法,对某双层铠装脐带缆的力学性能进行研究,并与数值模拟结果进行对比验证。对比结果表明,理论解析得到的螺旋滑移结果与数值模拟结果一致,理论解析得到的脐带缆弯曲刚度与数值模拟结果在全滑动阶段比较接近。     

Experimental study and numerical simulation on vortex-induced vibration of flexible riser

In order to study the effect of internal flow on vortex-induced vibration of flexible riser, the experiment on the vortex-induced vibration of flexible riser transporting fluid in the current was conducted in the physical oceanography laboratory of Ocean University of China. Considering the internal flowing fluid and external marine environment, the dynamic response of the flexible riser was measured. The corresponding numerical simulation was performed using the wake oscillatory model considering the extensibility of the riser system. Both the experiment and the numerical simulation indicated that with the increase of internal flow speed, the response amplitude increases, while the response frequency decreases.     

Numerical Prediction of Vortex-Induced Vibrations on Top Tensioned Riser in Consideration of Internal Flow

In consideration of the effect of the internal flowing fluid and the external marine environmental condition on the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of top tensioned riser (TTR), the differential equation is derived based on work-energy principles and the riser near wake dynamics is modeled by Facchinetti''s wake oscillator model.Then Galerkin''s finite element approximation is implemented to derive the nonlinear matrix equation of the coupled equations and the corresponding numerical programs are compiled which solve the coupled equations directly in the timedomain. The comparison of the predicted results with the recent experimental results and the prediction of SHEAR7is performed. The results show the validity of the proposed method on the prediction of VIV of deep water risers.The effect of internal flow on the dynamic characteristics and dynamic response of the riser is analyzed and severalvaluable conclusions are drawn.     

Mechanical responses of metallic strip flexible pipes subjected to pure torsion

Metallic strip flexible pipes (MSFP), a relatively new style of unbonded flexible pipes, are considered as an attractive alternative to traditional submarine pipes. Pipelines will inevitably confront torsion load which may affect the integrity and safety during their installation and application. Throughout this paper, the mechanical behavior of MSFP subjected to pure torsion is investigated by both experimental and numerical methods. Results from these two methods are essentially in agreement with each other. The finite element method (FEM) can be adopted to predict the failure torque of MSFP under torsion and analyze the detailed stress conditions of each layer. In addition, the effects of boundary conditions, layout manners of steel strips, friction coefficients between contact surfaces, twist directions and tension loads are discussed. The obtained conclusions will benefit cross-section design of MSFP and relative practical engineering.     

钢悬链线立管与海底相互作用弹性基础梁模拟方法研究

采用弹性基础梁模型,模拟钢悬链线立管(steel catenary riser,SCR)与海床土的相互作用,推导了弹性基础梁模型的有限元公式,基于该模型编制了钢悬链式立管的动力分析程序,在此基础上,分析了在浮体运动及环境载荷作用下,钢悬链线立管触地点区域的动力响应特征,并与弹簧支撑模型进行了比较。研究表明,弹性基础梁模型对单元长度的敏感性较低,可采用较长的单元,从而减少计算量。