Methodology for Calculating Irregular Wave Stress Time Histories of Tensile Wires in Flexible Risers

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krassimir Doynov ◽  
Christoffer Nilsen-Aas ◽  
Rune Haakonsen ◽  
Wan Kan ◽  
Robert Bjærum
Keyword(s):  
Time Domain ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Stress Transfer ◽  
Regular Wave ◽  
Flexible Riser ◽  
Irregular Wave ◽  
Wave Approach ◽  
Stress Components ◽  
Time Histories ◽  
Flexible Risers

Flexible risers are being deployed in more and more demanding applications in terms of water depth, remote locations, temperature, pressure and corrosive fluids. Focus has been put on long term riser integrity in general, and on fatigue performance in particular, as knowledge of pipe behavior and properties has been advanced over the last decade. In this context, accurate and consistent estimation of riser global and local response to external loading is essential. A methodology has been developed to efficiently calculate irregular wave stress time histories of tensile armour wires for flexible risers. The stress time histories are calculated directly from the global loads which are usually generated by using commercially available well proven global analysis tools. The methodology elevates the dynamic analysis of flexible risers from the conventional regular-wave approach to irregular-wave time-domain approach. This in turn allows a better assessment of the fatigue performance and provides a better fit-for-service assessment or an opportunity to reduce design conservatism. This methodology also allows for consistent stochastic fatigue evaluations to be performed in time domain simulations using the well established stochastic analysis approach. All flexible riser non-linear hysteretic effects are included and phase shift between tension and curvature is also fully accounted for. The key ingredient lies in the generation of transfer functions of all stress components using a validated local analysis (LA) tool based on finite element method. This is done because direct use of the LA tool for long time domain simulations is very computationally intensive and impractical. The stress transfer functions allow direct mapping of the tension and curvature readings to individual stress components, which are combined in a phase consistent manner to obtain the total stress-time histories. This methodology should also work well for other systems having complicated cross sections such as dynamic umbilicals and integrated production bundle, etc. Accuracy of the proposed methodology should be equivalent to that of using the LA tool directly provided that the stress transfer functions are constructed appropriately. In comparison with the traditional regular-wave methodology, this irregular wave approach has been shown to provide a significant fatigue-life improvement for the flexible riser tensile-wire in a deep water West Africa application.

Efficient Computation of Irregular Wave Wire Stresses in Flexible Risers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Rombado ◽  
Nathan Cooke ◽  
Dharma Pasala ◽  
Xianglei Ni ◽  
Andrew Low ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Life ◽  
Dynamic Simulation ◽  
Irregular Waves ◽  
Local Model ◽  
Regular Wave ◽  
Flexible Riser ◽  
Irregular Wave ◽  
Wave Approach ◽  
Dynamic Substructuring ◽  
Time Histories

Accurate computation of tensile armor wire stresses remains a major challenge in flexible riser fatigue life predictions and integrity management. Accuracy of the results relies heavily on capturing the kinematics of the flexible’s helically contra-wound tensile armor layers and their interaction with the other metallic and thermo-plastic layers in a dynamic simulation. The standard industry practice to assess the fatigue life of flexibles is to use high fidelity 3D Finite Element Models (FEMs) to capture the complex kinematics and produce accurate stresses. However, direct simulation of flexible riser detailed FEMs is limited to regular wave analyses and computation of wire stress time-histories subjected to irregular waves have been computationally infeasible. This is due to the complexity of the nonlinear FEM and the long simulation time of the irregular wave environment coupled with large number of fatigue sea states. As a result, simplified approaches which do not directly simulate the local model and instead assume that wire stresses can be interpolated based on static stress versus curvature material curves within a pre-defined tension /pressure envelope have been utilized. This paper utilizes Nonlinear Dynamic Substructuring (NDS), a simulation-based approach that that extends the framework of dynamic substructuring to nonlinear problems. NDS enables the efficient nonlinear dynamic simulation of multiple pitch lengths of detailed flexible riser FEM subjected to irregular wave inputs and the computation of wire stress time-histories at any location on the local model. In this paper, a 14-inch diameter flexible riser under consideration by ExxonMobil is subjected to vessel motion and wave load in irregular wave environments and is modeled using a detailed 3D FEM and simulated via NDS. The flexible riser design features four tensile armor layers to mitigate localized lateral buckling of the wires near the touch down point. Tension and curvature time-histories of the riser near the hang-off, calculated from a conventional beam model global analysis, is used to drive a 5.1m long local model. Irregular wave wire stress time-histories extracted at the corners of the tensile armor wires are used to compute the fatigue life of the flexible. To demonstrate the inaccuracies associated with the regular wave approach, fatigue life is computed via the regular wave approach and compared against the irregular wave approach. It is shown that the NDS capability to efficiently compute irregular waves mitigates over- and under-predictions due to environment idealizations leading to a more accurate and reliable flexible riser life prediction and structural integrity assessment.

Irregular Wave Simulation and Fatigue Damage Evaluation of a Flexible Riser Subjected to Bi-Modal Sea States

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhimin Tan ◽  
Yucheng Hou ◽  
John Zhang ◽  
Terry Sheldrake
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Wave Train ◽  
Time History ◽  
Regular Wave ◽  
Flexible Riser ◽  
Single Wave ◽  
Irregular Wave ◽  
Wave Approach ◽  
Wave Simulation ◽  
Wind Sea

This paper presents the fatigue evaluation of a flexible riser subjected to bi-modal sea states, where the local wind and swell conditions act simultaneously, and is observed in many offshore regions including Brazil and West Africa. Due to the irregularity of the riser responses, the traditional, regular wave approach for assessing the fatigue damage of a flexible pipe cannot be applied without significant simplifications. A typical deviation would be to treat the combined swell and wind conditions at sea as two sets of separate cases. The regular wave approach can then be applied and the summation of the damage of both cases defined as the final damage of the pipe. As an alternative, this paper presents a more theoretically accurate irregular wave approach. The entire irregular wave simulation was first performed using the commercial software, OrcaFlex™, together with a tensile wire stress model developed in-house. The model implements the pipe bending hysteresis behavior during dynamic excitation, producing corresponding time history stress results, which are used to assess the fatigue damage using a rain-flow counting method. Two case studies are presented, the first being a dynamic simulation performed with two wave trains generated based respectively on the given swell and wind sea spectrums. In the second case study, a single wave train is generated based on the combined spectrum of the swell and wind sea states. Both results are compared with those obtained by the traditional regular wave approach and a preferred analysis method is recommended based on the conservatism and time efficiency.

Improving Operating Window for Disconnect Operations of CWO Risers

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guttorm Gryto̸yr
Keyword(s):  
Rigid Body ◽  
Wave Height ◽  
Irregular Waves ◽  
Regular Wave ◽  
Irregular Wave ◽  
Wave Approach ◽  
Tension Level ◽  
Rigid Body Model ◽  
Industry Practice ◽  
Operating Window

The term ‘riser recoil’ refers to the situation when the lower end of a top tensioned riser is released, and the riser is lifted up by the riser tensioner and/or top motion compensator system on the supporting vessel. The elastic energy stored in the riser is then released, and the riser ‘recoils’. This paper focuses on the case of planned disconnect, and builds on ref. [1] which was based on a simplified riser analysis using a rigid body to represent the riser. In the present paper, the methodology has been applied to an elastic riser model in the riser analysis software RIFLEX, from MARINTEK in Trondheim, Norway, which includes axial damping elements required for modeling of the tensioner systems. Completion and Work Over (CWO) risers are unique in the sense that they may be simultaneously connected to both the riser tensioner system and the top motion compensator system of a drilling vessel. A Marine Drilling riser, on the other hand, is only connected to the riser tensioner system. Typically the riser tensioner system has a stroke of ± 8–9 m, whereas the top motion compensator system has only ± 3.5–4 m. It is imperative that the connector is lifted clear of the subsea structure in order to avoid damage to the equipment after the riser has been disconnected. The operating window for planned disconnect of CWO risers is severely limited by the available stroke of the top motion compensator. One of the purposes of the disconnect analysis is to establish the maximum wave height at which there is still sufficient clearance between the connector and the subsea structure after disconnect. Previous experience has shown that this may be the governing limitation for workover operations. The analysis may also establish a maximum tension level, and seastate, to avoid hard stroke-out of the top motion compensator cylinders. This requires an elastic riser model, since a rigid body will yield unphysically large impulse loads in case of stroke-out. The current industry practice is to use a regular wave approach in the analysis. In accordance with ref. [1], the present analysis is performed with irregular wave analyses. The results are documented through a case study of a typical CWO riser system connected to a semi-submersible in typical North Sea environmental conditions. The semi-submersible and the CWO riser system are exposed to irregular waves. Comparison of the resulting allowable wave height shows that using the approach presented here with an elastic riser model yields less conservative results than the previous methodology with a rigid body model. This should be coupled to the findings with the rigid riser model, ref. [1], that irregular waves yield a considerable increase in the operating window, and the resulting operability, compared to a regular wave analysis. Hence, using a regular wave approach combined with a simplified riser model that neglects the flexibility of the riser is expected to yield overly conservative results for the EQDP elevation after disconnect.

Optimization of Frequency Domain Fatigue Analysis for Unbonded Flexible Risers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiabei Yuan ◽  
Yucheng Hou ◽  
Zhimin Tan
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Domain ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Fatigue Analysis ◽  
System Response ◽  
Similar Response ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Spectrum Prediction ◽  
Flexible Risers

Abstract Fatigue analysis of flexible risers is a demanding task in terms of time and computational resources. The traditional time domain approach may take weeks of time in global simulation, local modelling and post-processing of riser responses to get fatigue results. Baker Hughes developed a fast hybrid approach, which is based on a frequency domain technique. The new approach was first implemented at the end fitting region and then to all other regions of the riser. Studies showed that the hybrid approach achieved convenient and conservative results in a significant shorter period of time. To improve the accuracy and reduce conservatism of the method, Baker Hughes has further optimized the analysis procedure to seek better results approaching true solutions. Several methods were proposed and studied. The duration of representative cases and noncritical cases have been extended. The steps to predict stress spectrum based on transfer functions have also been updated. From previous studies, only one transfer function was built for fatigue load cases with similar response spectra. This assumption linearizes the system response and produces certain level of discrepancy against true time domain solution. In this study, multiple ways of spectrum prediction are evaluated and compared. The paper summarizes several techniques to further optimize the hybrid frequency domain approach. The updated fatigue results are found to be more accurate. The optimized approach therefore gives more flexibility to engineers to approach the true solutions, which were originally acquired from full 3-hr time domain simulations. The approach requires less analysis time and reduces iterations in pipe structure and riser configuration design, which leads to faster project execution and potential cost reduction.

A Comparison of Coupled and Uncoupled Dynamic Analysis for the Flexible Riser in Shallow Water

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chul-hee Jo ◽  
Do-youb Kim ◽  
Yu-ho Rho
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Gas Permeation ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Coupled Analysis ◽  
Flexible Riser ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
Flexible Risers

Flexible risers have been used extensively in recent years for floating and early production systems. Such risers offer the advantage of having inherent heave compliance in their catenary thereby greatly reducing the complexity of the riser-to-rig and riser-to subsea interfaces. Another advantage with flexible risers is their greater reliability. Concerns about fatigue life, gas permeation and pigging of lines have been overcome by extensive experience with these risers in production applications. In this paper, flexible riser analysis results were compared through coupled and uncoupled dynamic analyses methods. A time domain coupled analysis capability has been developed to model the dynamic responses of an integrated floating system incorporating the interactions between vessel, moorings and risers in a marine environment. For this study, SPM (Single Point Mooring) system for an FSU in shallow water was considered. This optimization model was integrated with a time-domain global motion analysis to assess both stability and design constraints of the flexible riser system.

Time Domain Simulation of the 3D Bending Hysteresis Behavior of an Unbonded Flexible Riser

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhimin Tan ◽  
Peter Quiggin ◽  
Terry Sheldrake
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Simulation ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Life Assessment ◽  
Flexible Riser ◽  
Detailed Model ◽  
Hysteresis Behavior ◽  
Wave Approach ◽  
The Difference

This paper presents a “state-of-the-art” development in time domain dynamic simulation of 3D bending hysteresis behavior of a flexible riser under offshore environment loading. The main technical challenge is to understand and model the riser tensile armor behavior under continuous changes in both the magnitude and direction of bending, and its subsequent impact on the riser’s bending hysteresis characteristics. On account of this technical obstacle, the current industry practice is to model the riser as a linear structure, with certain conservatism enforced, and then to extract the global dynamic loads to a detailed local model for stress and life assessment. Two 3D flexible riser bending hysteresis models developed by Wellstream and Orcina are introduced in this paper, with their calibrations against the bending hysteresis loops measured in full scale tests. Both models are implemented using the analysis program ORCAFLEX. The Wellstream model is a detailed model that calculates both the total bending moment and the stresses in the tensile armor, whereas the Orcina model is a simpler model that only calculates the total bending moment. The study presented illustrates the difference in riser dynamic responses with and without consideration of the bending hysteresis behavior and assesses the difference in dynamic responses between the Wellstream and Orcina 3D bending hysteresis models. This development permits the modeling of more realistic riser structural properties in the dynamic simulation and reports detailed time history stress or strain results for strength components of the riser, and so expands the current practice of riser fatigue analysis, which uses the regular wave approach only, to using an irregular wave approach employing the rainflow counting method.

Flexible Riser Bending Hysteresis Influence on Bend Stiffener Response

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Caire
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Analysis ◽  
Segment Length ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Flexible Riser ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Irregular Wave ◽  
Global Dynamic ◽  
Flexible Risers ◽  
Curvature Distribution ◽  
Internal Pressures

The bending stiffness response is an important parameter in the lifetime assessment of unbounded flexible risers. Its behavior is governed by interlayer friction mechanisms leading to a non-linear moment x curvature relationship that is highly dependent on the internal pressure. In order to investigate its influence on the critical bend stiffener hang-off region response, a detailed finite element analysis is carried out using a specialized tool for a short segment length of a selected 2.5″ ID riser cross section. Different internal pressures are numerically analyzed and the resulting local hysteretic bending response is then adjusted and directly incorporated into a global dynamic analysis tool that uses an equivalent elasto-plastic formulation with a hardening parameter that controls the behavior of the slippage mechanism. A fully coupled irregular wave dynamic analysis is then carried out and the flexible riser curvature distribution response in the bend stiffener region compared for different bending hysteresis models adopted.

Flexible Riser Fatigue Re-Evaluation to Extend the Service Life

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A. D. Lemos ◽  
Fernando J. M. Sousa ◽  
Jose´ R. M. Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Life ◽  
Service Life ◽  
Phase Difference ◽  
Coupled Analysis ◽  
Wave Analysis ◽  
Flexible Riser ◽  
Irregular Wave ◽  
Deep Waters ◽  
Special Procedure ◽  
Flexible Risers

Some PETROBRAS fields are near mature now, around 15 years of production, and their production still important to the company portfolio, the possibility of extending the service life of these flexible risers becomes extremely attractive. This work addresses the re-evaluation of the fatigue life of old flexible risers aiming to extend their fatigue life at the same environment conditions or at new and less challenging ones. To fulfill this condition a special procedure is being applied to stretch the service life of the installed flexible risers, considering irregular wave analysis conditions, distributions of damage around the circumference and along the bend stiffener area and phase difference between tension and bending and in some cases a coupled analysis of the ship, mooring and risers systems. This kind of new fatigue procedure could also become of paramount importance to Petrobras to allow the design of conventional flexible risers for ultra deep waters.

Time Domain Simulation of the 3D Bending Hysteresis Behaviour of an Unbonded Flexible Riser

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhimin Tan ◽  
Peter Quiggin ◽  
Terry Sheldrake
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Simulation ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Life Assessment ◽  
Flexible Riser ◽  
Detailed Model ◽  
Wave Approach ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Hysteresis Behaviour

This paper presents a ‘state of art’ in the development of the time domain dynamic simulation of 3D bending hysteresis behaviour of a flexible riser under offshore environment loading. The main technical challenge is to understand and model the riser tensile armour behaviour under continuous changes in both the magnitude and direction of bending, and its subsequent impact on the riser’s bending hysteresis characteristics. Because of this technical obstacle, the current industry practice is to model the riser as a linear structure, with certain conservatism enforced, and then to extract the global dynamic loads to a detailed local model for stress and life assessment. This paper introduces two 3D flexible riser bending hysteresis models, developed by Wellstream and Orcina respectively, and their calibrations against the bending hysteresis loops measured in full scale tests. Both models are implemented using the analysis program OrcaFlex; the Wellstream model is a detailed model that calculates both the total bending moment and the stresses in the tensile armour; the Orcina model is a simpler model that only calculates the total bending moment. A study is presented to illustrate the difference in the riser dynamic responses with and without consideration of the bending hysteresis behaviour, and to assess the difference in the dynamic responses between the Wellstream and Orcina 3D bending hysteresis models. This development permits more realistic riser structural properties to be modeled in the dynamic simulation, and reports detailed time history stress or strain results of the strength components of the riser. This expands the current practice of riser fatigue analysis of only using the regular wave approach, to using an irregular wave approach employing the rainflow counting method.

Methodology for Disconnect Analysis of CWO Risers in Random Seas

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guttorm Grytoyr ◽  
Anne Marthine Rustad ◽  
Nils Sodahl ◽  
Per Christian Bunaes
Keyword(s):  
Wave Height ◽  
Irregular Waves ◽  
Regular Wave ◽  
Irregular Wave ◽  
Wave Approach ◽  
Random Seas ◽  
Extreme Response ◽  
Industry Practice ◽  
Operating Window

The term ‘riser recoil’ refers to the situation when the lower end of a top tensioned riser is released, and the riser is lifted up by the riser tensioner and/or top motion compensator system on the supporting vessel. The elastic energy stored in the riser is then released, and the riser ‘recoils’. This paper focuses on the case of planned disconnect. Recoil of Marine Drilling Risers has been the subject of several research papers over the past two decades. Some examples are listed in references [2] through [7]. Completion and Work Over (CWO) risers are unique in the sense that they may be simultaneously connected to both the riser tensioner system and the top motion compensator system of a drilling vessel. A Marine Drilling riser, on the other hand, is only connected to the riser tensioner system. Typically the riser tensioner system has a stroke of ± 8–9 m, whereas the top motion compensator system has only ± 3.5–4 m. It is imperative that the connector is lifted clear of the subsea structure in order to avoid damage to the equipment after the riser has been disconnected. The operating window for planned disconnect of CWO risers is severely limited by the available stroke of the top motion compensator. One of the purposes of the disconnect analysis is to establish the maximum wave height at which there is still sufficient clearance between the connector and the subsea structure after disconnect. Previous experience has shown that this may be the governing limitation for workover operations. The current industry practice is to use a regular wave approach in the analysis. The wave frequency is varied in order to find the maximum response, and hence one is actually searching for the extreme response, without paying attention to the probability that this will occur. In this paper a new method is presented, where the analysis is based on an irregular wave approach and the Monte Carlo technique, using time-domain simulations. Acceptance criteria are established based on a stochastic analysis, and are based on target levels of probability of exceedance. The results are documented through a case study of a typical CWO riser system connected to a semi-submersible in typical North Sea environmental conditions. The semi-submersible and the CWO riser system are exposed to both regular and irregular waves. Comparison of the resulting allowable wave height indicates that using the approach presented here with irregular waves will give a considerable increase in the operating window, and the resulting operability, compared to a regular wave analysis.

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