A KNN Based Collapse Methodology and Recent Qualification of Flexible Pipes in Deepwater Application

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linfa Zhu ◽  
Victor Pinheiro Pupo Nogueira ◽  
Zhimin Tan
Keyword(s):  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
Collapse Pressure ◽  
Collapse Strength ◽  
Flexible Pipes ◽  
Collapse Model ◽  
Testing Data ◽  
Collapse Prediction ◽  
Current Design

Abstract As the flexible pipe industry targets more on deepwater applications, collapse performance of flexible pipes becomes a key challenge due to the huge hydrostatic pressure during installation and service. The collapse strength of flexible pipes largely depends on the structural characteristics of carcass, pressure sheath and pressure armor layers. Therefore, the collapse prediction methodology involving a sound modeling of these layers is essential. Over the years, Baker Hughes have collected a large amount of collapse testing data. The prediction tool needs to be validated and calibrated against all the collapse tests for best accuracy. In this paper, the latest progress of the collapse prediction methodology and qualification tests are presented. A generalized collapse model was developed to predict the collapse pressure of flexible pipes. This model incorporates the advantages of both the weighted kNN regression technique and an analytical collapse model. It is able to reproduce the exact collapse pressure on the pipes tested and can predict the collapse pressure of other pipe designs not tested. As part of the qualification process, the capacity to prevent collapse must be demonstrated. Several flexible pipes were designed based on this generalized prediction methodology for deep water application, and pipe samples were manufactured using industrial production facilities for collapse tests. The results show that flexible pipes following current design guidelines are suitable for deepwater applications.

Flexible Pipes: Influence of the Pressure Armor in the Wet Collapse Resistance

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Gay Neto ◽  
Clóvis de Arruda Martins
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
3D Fem ◽  
Collapse Pressure ◽  
Flexible Pipes ◽  
Polymeric Layer ◽  
Set Up ◽  
3D Finite Element Method ◽  
Ring Approximation

When submitted to high external pressure, flexible pipes may collapse. If the external sheath is damaged, all the external pressure is directly applied on the internal polymeric layer that transmits the loading to the carcass layer, which can fail due to this effect, leading to wet collapse. This failure mode must be taken into account in a flexible pipe design. A model can be set up neglecting the influence of the pressure armor, but this assumption may underestimate the wet collapse pressure value. This work aims to include the pressure armor effect in the numerical prediction of wet collapse. The main contribution of the pressure armor to the flexible pipe resistance to collapse is to be a constraint to the radial displacement of the carcass and the internal polymeric layers. Two models were developed to find the wet collapse pressure in flexible pipes. A first study was done using a ring approximation three-dimensional (3D) finite element method (FEM) model. Comparisons are made with more simplified models using a 3D FEM equivalent ring approximation. The aim is to clarify the mechanical behavior of the pressure armor in the wet collapse scenario. Parametric studies of initial ovalization of carcass and initial gaps and interference between polymeric layer and pressure armor are made and discussed.

Prediction and Qualification of Radial Birdcage and Lateral Buckling of Flexible Pipes in Deepwater Applications

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linfa Zhu ◽  
Zhimin Tan ◽  
Victor Pinheiro Pupo Nogueira ◽  
Jian Liu ◽  
Judimar Clevelario
Keyword(s):  
Failure Modes ◽  
Local Buckling ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Prediction Theory ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Operation Conditions ◽  
Flexible Pipes ◽  
Compressive Loads

Increasing oil exploitation in deepwater regions is driving the R&D of flexible pipes which are subjected to high external pressure loads from the hydrostatic head during their installation and operation. One of the challenges of flexible pipe design for such applications is to overcome the local buckling failure modes of tensile armor layers due to the combination of high external pressure, compressive loads and pipe curvature. This paper presents the latest progress in local buckling behavior prediction theory and the qualification process of flexible pipes. First, the mechanisms of two types of buckling behaviors, radial birdcage buckling and lateral buckling, are described. For each failure mode, the analytical buckling prediction theory is presented and the driving parameters are discussed. As part of the qualification process, the ability to resist radial birdcage and lateral buckling must be demonstrated. Suitable test protocols are required to represent the installation and operation conditions for the intended applications by deep immersion performance (DIP) tests. Several flexible pipes were designed based on radial birdcage and lateral buckling prediction theory, and pipe samples were manufactured using industrial production facilities for DIP tests. The results clearly show that flexible pipes following current design guidelines are suitable for deepwater applications. An alternative in-air rig was developed to simulate the DIP tests in a controlled laboratory environment to further validate the model prediction as a continuous development.

A Simple Alternative Method to Estimate the Collapse Pressure of Flexible Pipes

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Pinheiro Pupo Nogueira ◽  
Theodoro Antoun Netto
Keyword(s):  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Plastic Material ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Material Behavior ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
Collapse Pressure ◽  
Operational Conditions ◽  
Alternative Method ◽  
Flexible Pipes

Offshore oil and gas production worldwide constantly moves to deeper water with increasing flexible pipe operational severity. Failure mechanisms, i.e., sequences of events which may lead to failure, are nowadays more likely to happen. Therefore, it is important to develop reliable numerical tools that can be used in the design stages or during service-life to assess the structural integrity of pipes under specific operational conditions. This work presents a methodology to develop simple finite element models capable to reproduce the behavior of structural layers of flexible pipes under hydrostatic pressure up to the onset of collapse. The models use beam elements and include contact between layers, nonlinear kinematics and material behavior. Different configurations were analyzed: carcass-only, and carcass plus pressure armor with dry and wet annular. The dependability of the numerical models is assessed in light of experimental tests on flexible pipes with 4 and 8 inch nominal internal diameters. Relevant geometric parameters and material properties of each specimen were measured and subsequently used in the models to reproduce the physical experiments. The metallic inner carcass and pressure armor layer manufacturing processes cause a high degree of stress-induced material anisotropy. Due to the inherent difficulty to determine the non-homogeneous elastic-plastic material behavior of the wires’ cross-sections, a novel alternative method was used to estimate their average stress-strain curves up to moderate strains (2%). Good correlation was obtained between experimental and numerical results. The applied methodology proved to be simple and yet efficient and reliable for the estimation of the collapse pressure of flexible pipes.

Development and Experimental Calibration of Numerical Model Based on Beam Theory to Estimate the Collapse Pressure of Flexible Pipes

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jefferson Lacerda ◽  
Marcelo I. Lourenço ◽  
Theodoro A. Netto
Keyword(s):  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Beam Theory ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
Experimental Calibration ◽  
Collapse Pressure ◽  
Flexible Pipes

The constant advance of offshore oil and gas production in deeper waters worldwide led to increasing operational loads on flexible pipes, making mechanical failures more susceptible. Therefore, it is important to develop more reliable numerical tools used in the design phase or during the lifetime to ensure the structural integrity of flexible pipes under specific operating conditions. This paper presents a methodology to develop simple finite element models capable of reproducing the behavior of structural layers of flexible pipes under external hydrostatic pressure up to collapse. These models use beam elements and, in multi-layer analyses, include nonlinear contact between layers. Because of the material anisotropy induced by the manufacturing process, an alternative method was carried out to estimate the average stress-strain curves of the metallic layers used in the numerical simulations. The simulations are performed for two different configurations: one where the flexible pipe is composed only of the interlocked armor, and another considering interlocked armor and pressure armor. The adequacy of the numerical models is finally evaluated in light of experimental tests on flexible pipes with nominal internal diameters of 4 and 6 in.

Bent Collapse of an Unbonded Rough Bore Flexible Pipe

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Lu ◽  
Frank Ma ◽  
Zhimin Tan ◽  
Terry Sheldrake
Keyword(s):  
Test Data ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Structural Function ◽  
External Hydrostatic Pressure ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Collapse Pressure ◽  
Fea Model ◽  
Collapse Strength ◽  
Equivalent Test

This paper investigates the collapse behaviour of an unbonded rough bore flexible pipe as it adopts a straight and bent configuration respectively. An unbonded flexible pipe typically consists of several layers, where each layer is designed to provide a specific structural function. The collapse strength of an unbonded rough bore flexible is provided mainly by its Flexbody layer, and enhanced by the Flexlok layer through the Flexbarrier layer in between. A 3D detailed FEA model was developed to simulate the most susceptible collapse situation, where the outermost Flexshield is assumed bleached and the external hydrostatic pressure acts directly on the outer surface of the Flexbarrier layer. This is often referred to as the wet collapse. The model was calibrated against the collapse test data performed on a 6 inch ID pipe in both straight and bent configuration. The equivalent test data shows about 5.0% reduction in the collapse strength under the bent configuration. The paper proposed a practical approach for estimating the collapse pressure for a pipe bent to various bend radii. The work presented is part of an ongoing research and development project.

Equivalent Layer Approaches to Predict the Bisymmetric Hydrostatic Collapse Strength of Flexible Pipes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Renato M. de Sousa ◽  
Marcelo K. Protasio ◽  
Luis V. S. Sagrilo
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
Collapse Mechanisms ◽  
Collapse Strength ◽  
Flexible Pipes ◽  
Dimensional Finite Element ◽  
Three Dimensional Finite Element ◽  
Radial Loading

The hydrostatic collapse strength of a flexible pipe is largely dependent on the ability of its carcass and pressure armor to resist radial loading and, therefore, its prediction involves an adequate modeling of these layers. Hence, initially, this work proposes a set of equations to estimate equivalent thicknesses and physical properties for these layers, which allows their modeling as equivalent orthotropic cylinders. These equations are obtained by simulating several two-point static ring tests with a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model based on beam elements and using these results to form datasets that are analyzed with a symbolic regression (SR) tool. The results of these analyses are the closed-form equations that best fit the provided datasets. After that, these equations are used in conjunction with a three-dimensional shell FE model and a previously presented analytical model to study the dry and wet hydrostatic collapse mechanisms of a flexible pipe. The predictions of these models agreed quite well with the collapse pressures obtained in experimental tests thus indicating that the use of the equivalent approach is promising.

An Analytical Approach for Predicting the Collapse Pressure of the Flexible Risers With Initial Ovalization and Gap

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Li ◽  
Xiaoli Jiang ◽  
Hans Hopman
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Flexible Riser ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
Collapse Pressure ◽  
Initial Imperfections ◽  
Collapse Strength ◽  
Flexible Risers

Abstract A flexible riser is a flexible pipe that transports materials between seafloor and topside structures. As oil and gas production heads to water depths greater than 3000 meters, huge hydrostatic pressure may cause the collapse failure of flexible risers. Generally, the collapse strength of a flexible riser is designed by considering the effects of initial imperfections, e.g., ovality of the carcass, and radial gap between the carcass/liner and pressure armor. These two imperfections may cause a significant reduction in the collapse strength of flexible risers under the flooded annulus condition. However, there are few analytical models available in the public literature that could take those factors into account. In this paper, an analytical approach is presented to predict the critical collapse pressure of the flexible risers with initial imperfections. The analytical results were compared with the numerical simulation, which showed reasonably good agreement.

Numerical-Analytical Prediction of the Collapse of Flexible Pipes Under Bending and External Pressure

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter C. Loureiro ◽  
Ilson P. Pasqualino
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Models ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Analytical Prediction ◽  
Collapse Pressure ◽  
Analytical Formulation ◽  
Collapse Strength ◽  
Industry Standards ◽  
Flexible Pipes ◽  
Analytical Approaches ◽  
Good Agreement

This work gathers the phenomena indicated through the available literature and industry standards as determinant in the evaluation of the collapse of flexible pipes under combined bending and external pressure. It also proposes a complete analytical formulation to assess the collapse strength. The effects of dimensional variations and added ovalization due to bending are combined to evaluate the final collapse pressure. Numerical models are generated for comparison purposes and experimental results are used to validate the formulation proposed. The good agreement obtained between numerical and analytical predictions show that is possible to determine the curve collapse of flexible pipes through analytical approaches.

Simplified Finite Element Models to Study the Wet Collapse of Straight and Curved Flexible Pipes

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Gay Neto ◽  
Clóvis de Arruda Martins ◽  
Eduardo Ribeiro Malta ◽  
Rafael Loureiro Tanaka ◽  
Carlos Alberto Ferreira Godinho
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Models ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Finite Element Models ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
Collapse Pressure ◽  
Flexible Pipes ◽  
Polymeric Layer ◽  
Collapse Failure

When the external sheath of flexible pipes experiences damage, seawater floods the annulus. Then, the external pressure is applied directly on the internal polymeric layer, and the load is transferred to the interlocked carcass, the innermost layer. In this situation, the so-called wet collapse failure of the interlocked carcass can occur. Simplified methodologies to address such a scenario, using restricted three-dimensional (3D) finite element models, are presented in this work. They are compared with full 3D models, studying both straight and curved flexible pipes scenarios. The curvature of the flexible pipe is shown to be important for wet collapse pressure predictions.

Flexible Pipes: Influence of the Pressure Armor in the Wet Collapse Resistance

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Gay Neto ◽  
Clo´vis de Arruda Martins
Keyword(s):  
External Pressure ◽  
Flexible Pipe ◽  
3D Fem ◽  
Collapse Pressure ◽  
Flexible Pipes ◽  
External Pressures ◽  
Complete Study ◽  
Polymeric Layer ◽  
Equivalent Ring ◽  
Comparison Of The Results

When subjected to large valued external pressures, flexible pipes may collapse. If the external sheath is damaged, all the external pressure is directly applied to the internal polymeric layer that transmits the loading to the carcass layer. When the carcass layer fails due to this effect, the wet collapse occurs. This failure mode must be taken into account in the flexible pipe design. The study for this problem can be done neglecting the influence of the pressure armor, but this assumption may underestimate the wet collapse pressure value. This work aims to study the pressure armor effect in the numerical prediction of wet collapse. The main contribution of the pressure armor to the flexible pipe resistance to collapse is to be a constraint to the radial displacement of the carcass and the internal polymeric layers. Two models were developed and compared with the purpose of calculating the critical value of the external pressure that causes carcass layer to collapse. The first and most complete study is done using a ring 3D FEM model that takes into account both the real pressure armor and carcass real profiles. In the second model, the pressure armor is considered adopting an equivalent ring simplification. The comparison of the results of both the models clarifies how the behavior of the pressure armor in the wet collapse situation is. Parametric studies of initial ovalization of the carcass and initial gaps in manufacturing of flexible pipes are made and discussed.

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