Flexible Riser Resistance Against Combined Axial Compression, Bending, and Torsion in Ultra-Deep Water Depths

Author(s):  
Marcelo Brack ◽  
Le´a M. B. Troina ◽  
Jose´ Renato M. de Sousa

The experience in the Brazilian offshore production systems is to adopt the traditional riser solution composed of unbonded flexible pipes at a free-hanging catenary configuration. In deep waters, the tendency has been to use different pipe length sections (normally two), each of them designed to resist typical loadings. At the bottom, pipe structure is dimensioned against external pressure, axial compression, bending and torsion, for example. The theoretical prediction of riser responses under the crescent combined loading conditions is a key issue at the TDP region. The potential failure modes are buckling of the armour tendons and also rupture of the high resistance tapes. Much effort has been done in order to have available, from the market, larger envelopes of certified methodologies and qualified products, applicable to the Brazilian ultra-deep scenarios. Since 2002, an extensive R&D Program has been conducted (i) to improve current design evaluation tools & criteria and (ii) to establish representative test procedures and scope, for prototype qualification against the potential failure modes associated with combined axial compression, bending and torsion, at the TDP regions of bottom riser sections in ultra-deep water depths. This paper describes the main steps of the R&D Program, as below: I. Improvement of computational tools to better represent the behavior of the tendons, II. Consolidation of a new strategy for structural analysis, under more realistic conditions, III. Issue of a more adequate set of pipe technical specifications, and IV. Review of both theoretical and experimental results obtained from Feasibility Technical Studies and offshore field tests, respectively. Some examples and results are showed to illustrate, step by step, the whole process covered by the cited Program. Finally, the authors document their main conclusions for further discussion.

Author(s):  
Philippe Secher ◽  
Fabrice Bectarte ◽  
Antoine Felix-Henry

This paper presents the latest progress on the armor wires lateral buckling phenomena with the qualification of flexible pipes for water depths up to 3,000m. The design challenges specific to ultra deep water are governed by the effect of the external pressure: Armor wires lateral buckling is one of the failure modes that needs to be addressed when the flexible pipe is empty and subject to dynamic curvature cycling. As a first step, the lateral buckling mechanism is described and driving parameters are discussed. Then, the program objective is presented together with flexible pipe designs: - Subsea dynamic Jumpers applications; - Sweet and Sour Service; - Internal diameters up to 11″. Dedicated flexible pipe components were selected to address the severe loading conditions encountered in water depths up to 3,000m. Hydrostatic collapse resistance was addressed by a thick inner carcass layer and a PSI pressure vault. Armor wires lateral buckling was addressed by the design and industrialization of new tensile armor wires. The pipe samples were manufactured using industrial production process in the factories in France and Brazil. The available testing protocols are then presented discussing their advantages and drawbacks. For this campaign, a combination of Deep Immersion Performances (DIP) tests and tests in hyperbaric chambers was selected. The DIP test campaign was performed End 2009 beginning 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico using one of Technip Installation Vessel. These tests replicated the actual design conditions to which a flexible pipe would be subjected during installation and operation. The results clearly demonstrated the suitability of flexible pipes as a valid solution for ultra deep water applications. In addition, the DIP tests results were compared to the tests in hyperbaric chambers giving consistent results. This campaign provided design limitations of the new designs for both 9″ and 11″ internal diameter flexible pipes, in sweet and sour service in water depths up to 3,000m.


1974 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 1322-1327
Author(s):  
Shun Cheng ◽  
C. K. Chang

The buckling problem of circular cylindrical shells under axial compression, external pressure, and torsion is investigated using a displacement function φ. A governing differential equation for the stability of thin cylindrical shells under combined loading of axial compression, external pressure, and torsion is derived. A method for the solutions of this equation is also presented. The advantage in using the present equation over the customary three differential equations for displacements is that only one trial solution is needed in solving the buckling problems as shown in the paper. Four possible combinations of boundary conditions for a simply supported edge are treated. The case of a cylinder under axial compression is carried out in detail. For two types of simple supported boundary conditions, SS1 and SS2, the minimum critical axial buckling stress is found to be 43.5 percent of the well-known classical value Eh/R3(1−ν2) against the 50 percent of the classical value presently known.


Author(s):  
Roger Slora ◽  
Stian Karlsen ◽  
Per Arne Osborg

There is an increasing demand for subsea electrical power transmission in the oil- and gas industry. Electrical power is mainly required for subsea pumps, compressors and for direct electrical heating of pipelines. The majority of subsea processing equipment is installed at water depths less than 1000 meters. However, projects located offshore Africa, Brazil and in the Gulf of Mexico are reported to be in water depths down to 3000 meters. Hence, Nexans initiated a development programme to qualify a dynamic deep water power cable. The qualification programme was based on DNV-RP-A203. An overall project plan, consisting of feasibility study, concept selection and pre-engineering was outlined as defined in DNV-OSS-401. An armoured three-phase power cable concept assumed suspended from a semi-submersible vessel at 3000 m water depth was selected as qualification basis. As proven cable technology was selected, the overall qualification scope is classified as class 2 according to DNV-RP-A203. Presumed high conductor stress at 3000 m water depth made basis for the identified failure modes. An optimised prototype cable, with the aim of reducing the failure mode risks, was designed based on extensive testing and analyses of various test cables. Analyses confirmed that the prototype cable will withstand the extreme loads and fatigue damage during a service life of 30 years with good margins. The system integrity, consisting of prototype cable and end terminations, was verified by means of tension tests. The electrical integrity was intact after tensioning to 2040 kN, which corresponds to 13 000 m static water depth. A full scale flex test of the prototype cable verified the extreme and fatigue analyses. Hence, the prototype cable is qualified for 3000 m water depth.


Author(s):  
André C. Nogueira ◽  
Glenn A. Lanan

The capacity of pipelines to resist collapse or local buckling under a combination of external pressure and bending moment is a major aspect of offshore pipeline design. The importance of this loading combination increases as oil and gas projects in ultra deep-water, beyond 2,000-m water depths, are becoming reality. The industry is now accepting, and codes are explicitly incorporating, limit state design concepts such as the distinction between load controlled and displacement controlled conditions. Thus, deep-water pipeline installation and limit state design procedures are increasing the need to understand fundamental principles of offshore pipeline performance. Design codes, such as API 1111 (1999) or DNV (1996, 2000), present equations that quantify pipeline capacities under combined loading in offshore pipelines. However, these equations are based on empirical data fitting, with or without reliability considerations. Palmer (1994) pointed out that “it is surprising to discover that theoretical prediction [of tubular members under combined loading] has lagged behind empirical prediction, and that many of the formula have no real theoretical backup beyond dimensional analysis.” This paper addresses the ultimate strength of pipelines under combined bending and external pressure, especially for diameter-to-thickness ratios, D/t, less than 40, which are typically used for deep water applications. The model is original and has a rational basis. It includes considerations of ovalization, anisotropy (such as those caused by the UOE pipe fabrication process), load controlled, and displaced controlled conditions. First, plastic analysis is reviewed, then pipe local buckling under pure bending is analyzed and used to develop the strength model. Load controlled and displacement controlled conditions are a natural consequence of the formulation, as well as cross section ovalization. Secondly, external pressure effects are addressed. Model predictions compare very favorably to experimental collapse test results.


Author(s):  
O. Ifayefunmi ◽  
J. Błachut

Three types of imperfections are analysed in the current paper, and they are: (i) Initial geometric imperfections, i.e., deviations from perfect geometry, (ii) Variations in the wall thickness distribution, and (iii) Imperfect boundary conditions. It is assumed that cones are subject to: (a) axial compression only, (b) radial pressure only, and (c) combined loading, i.e., axial compression and external pressure acting simultaneously. Buckling strength of imperfect cones is obtained for all of the cases above. It is shown that the buckling strength is differently affected by imperfections, when cones are subjected to axial compression or to radial external pressure. The response to imperfections along the combined stability envelope is also provided, and these results are first of this type. The finite element analysis, using the proprietary code is used as the numerical tool. Cones are assumed to be from mild steel and the material is modelled as elastic perfectly plastic. Geometrical imperfection profiles are affine to eigenshapes. A number of them are tried in calculations, as well as the effect of them being superimposed. The results indicate that imperfection amplitude and its shape strongly affect the load carrying capacity of conical shells. Also, it is shown that the buckling loads of analyzed cones are more sensitive when subjected to combined loading as compared to their sensitivity under single load conditions. At the next stage, uneven thickness distribution along the cone slant was considered. Variation of wall thickness was assumed to vary in a piece-wise constant fashion. This appears to have a large effect on the buckling strength of cones under axial compression only as compared with that of cones subjected to radial external pressure only. Finally, the effect of variability of boundary conditions on failure load of cones was investigated for two loading conditions, i.e., for axial compression and for radial pressure, only. Results indicate that change of boundary conditions influences the magnitude of buckling load. For axially compressed cones the loss of buckling strength can be large (about 64% for the worst case (beta = 30 deg, the cone not restrained at small radius end). Calculations for radial pressure indicate that the loss of buckling strength is not as acute — with 34% for the worst case (beta = 40 deg, relaxed boundary conditions at the larger radius end). This is an entirely numerical study but references to accompanying experimental programme are provided.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 7008
Author(s):  
Deyi Xu ◽  
Yang Yang ◽  
Zongping Chen

Due to the advantage of saving indoor space, a special-shaped column frame attracted more attention of the engineers and researchers. This paper presented a quasi-static cyclic loading experiment of six specimens of reinforced concrete (RC) L-shaped columns under compression-flexure-shear-torsion combined loadings to investigate the effect in the ratio of torsion to moment (T/M) and axial compression ratio (n) on their seismic performance. The results showed that the failure modes of L-shaped specimens included bending failure, bending-torsion failure, and torsion-shear failure with the hysteretic curves exhibiting S shape. With the increase of T/M ratio, cracks on the flange developed more fully, and the height of plastic hinge decreased and torsion bearing capacity improved. Besides, as the T/M ratio increased the twist ductility increased, while displacement ductility decreased. On the other hand, with a higher axial compression ratio, torsion bearing capacity and bending stiffness were both increased. Moreover, the equivalent viscous damping coefficient of bending and torsion were 0.08~0.28 and 0.13~0.23, respectively. The average inter-story drift ratio met the requirements of the Chinese standard. Finally, two modified models were proposed to predict the progression of damage for the L-shaped column under combined loading including torsion.


Author(s):  
Enrico Torselletti ◽  
Luigino Vitali ◽  
Roberto Bruschi ◽  
Leif Collberg

The offshore pipeline industry is planning new gas trunklines at water depth ever reached before (up to 3500 m). In such conditions, external hydrostatic pressure becomes the dominating loading condition for the pipeline design. In particular, pipe geometric imperfections as the cross section ovality, combined load effects as axial and bending loads superimposed to the external pressure, material properties as compressive yield strength in the circumferential direction and across the wall thickness etc., significantly interfere in the definition of the demanding, in such projects, minimum wall thickness requirements. This paper discusses the findings of a series of ultra deep-water studies carried out in the framework of Snamprogetti corporate R&D. In particular, the pipe sectional capacity, required to sustain design loads, is analysed in relation to: • The fabrication technology i.e. the effect of cold expansion/compression (UOE/UOC) of TMCP plates on the mechanical and geometrical pipe characteristics; • The line pipe material i.e. the effect of the shape of the actual stress-strain curve and the Y/T ratio on the sectional performance, under combined loads; • The load combination i.e. the effect of the axial force and bending moment on the limit capacity against collapse and ovalisation buckling failure modes, under the considerable external pressure. International design guidelines are analysed in this respect, and experimental findings are compared with the ones from the application of proposed limit state equations and from dedicated FE simulations.


1964 ◽  
Vol 68 (647) ◽  
pp. 773-775 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Lakshmikantham ◽  
George Gerard

In the stability analysis of cylinders under external loading, the axial compression and lateral pressure cases are relatively well established: see, for example, ref. 1. However, from a design point of view, a biaxial system of forces due to a combination of axial compression and external pressure is often encountered in launch vehicle structures. While many other combined loading cases have appeared in the literature, the case under present consideration has not; therefore, this note is devoted to a general treatment of this problem. It is to be noted that Radhakrishnan presented some specific results for this loading combination for elastic and plastic buckling.Using the Donnell equation for small deformations, the present report considers the effect of various compressive loading combinations on the stability problem of an un-stiffened circular cylinder.


Author(s):  
J. Blachut ◽  
O. Ifayefunmi

The paper considers buckling of unstiffened truncated conical shells under simultaneously acting quasi-static axial compression and an independent external hydrostatic pressure. This is both numerical and experimental study. Domains of combined stability were obtained using the finite element method for a range of geometrical parameters. Cones are clamped at one end and free to move axially at the other end, where all the other degrees of freedom remain constrained. Shells are assumed to be from mild steel and the material is modeled as elastic perfectly plastic. The FE results indicate that the static stability domains remain convex. The failure mechanisms, i.e., asymmetric bifurcation and axisymmetric collapse are discussed together with the spread of plastic strains through the wall thickness. Also, the combined stability domains are examined for regions of purely elastic behavior and for regions where plastic straining exists. The latter is not convex and repercussions of that are discussed. The spread of the latter is computed for a range of the (radius-to-wall-thickness)-ratios. Experimental results are based on laboratory scale models. Here, a single geometry was chosen for validation of numerically predicted static stability domain. Parameters of this geometry were assumed as follows: the ratio of bigger radius, r2, to smaller radius, r1, was taken as (r2/r1) = 2.02; the ratio of radius-to-wall-thickness, (r2/t), was 33.0, and the cone semi-angle was 26.56°, whilst the axial length-to-radius ratio was, (h/r2) = 1.01. Shells were CNC-machined from 252mm diameter solid steel billet. They had heavy integral flanges at both ends and models were not stress relieved prior to testing. Details about the test arrangements are provided in the paper. In particular, the development details and experience of the test rig for independent/combined loading of cones are given. The current contribution complements Ref. [1].


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