George C. Campello

A Study on the Response of a Flexible Pipe to Combined Axisymmetric Loads

In this work, the response of a 2.5″ flexible pipe to combined and pure axisymmetric loads is studied. A set of experimental tests was carried out and the results obtained are compared to those provided by a previously presented finite element model. The pipe was firstly subjected to pure tension. After that, the response to torsion superimposed with tension combined or not with internal pressure and the response to internal pressure combined with tension were investigated. In all these cases, the induced strains in the tensile armors were measured. Moreover, the axial elongation of the pipe was monitored in the pure tension test, whilst the twist of the pipe was measured when torsion was imposed and the axial reaction force was monitored when internal pressure was applied. The experimental results obtained agreed very well with the theoretical estimations indicating that the response of the pipe to tension and internal pressure is linear, whilst its response to torsion is nonlinear due to friction between layers.© 2013 ASME

A FE Model to Predict the Stress Concentration Factors in the Tensile Armor Wires of Flexible Pipes Inside End Fittings

In this work, a bidimensional finite element (FE) approach is proposed to estimate the stresses induced in the tensile armor wires inside end fittings (EF) of flexible pipes. This approach accounts for the residual stresses caused by the mounting procedure and the deformed configuration of the wire. The resin and its interaction with the wires are also addressed. A parametric study was performed aiming at investigating the influence of three parameters on the stress state along the wire, i. e., the contact conditions between the resin and the wire inside the EF, the stress levels induced during the factory acceptance test (FAT) or the offshore leak test (OLT) and the resin elastic properties. The study pointed that high stress concentration is induced in the transition between the flexible pipe’s body and the EF and the stress distribution along the wire may be significantly affected by these parameters. Moreover, the apparent axial stiffness of the wire is also modified by its anchoring conditions, which may lead to non-uniform stress distributions among the wires of the tensile armor layers.© 2013 ASME

Stress Concentration Factors for a Drilling Riser Containing Corrosion Pits

The residual fatigue life of a corroded riser joint can be evaluated by means of a fatigue analysis based on S-N data. In this case nominal stresses are determined through a global riser analysis in which the drilling riser is modeled as a tensioned beam subjected to loads throughout its length and with boundary conditions at each end. The effect of the corrosion defects is taken into account multiplying the nominal stresses by stress concentration factors (SCFs) derived by local Finite Element (FE) analyses of the riser joints containing corrosion defects. In this paper stress concentration factors for a drilling riser containing corrosion pits are calculated using solid FE models. These pits are situated on the external surface of the riser joints. Three shapes of corrosion pits are considered: semi spherical, cylindrical wide and cylindrical narrow. Five depths of corrosion pits are considered: 12.6%, 20.1%, 30.2%, 40.3% and 50.3% of the riser wall thickness. The riser outside diameter and the riser wall thickness are 533.4 mm (21 in) and 15.9 mm (0.625 in), respectively.© 2007 ASME

Bending Analysis of a Flexible Pipe With Broken Tensile Armor Wires

In this work, the mechanical response of a damaged 2.5″ flexible pipe under combined tensile and bending loads is studied. A set of experimental tests was carried out either considering the pipe intact or with one up to four broken wires in its outer tensile armor. In these tests, the deflections along the pipe as well as the strains in its outer tensile armor wires were measured thus allowing estimating the bending stiffness of the pipe and the force distribution among the wires, respectively. The results obtained are compared to those provided by a previously presented finite element (FE) model and analytical models. The numerical and analytical predictions agreed well with the experimental measurements pointing to a negligible decrease in the stiffness of the pipe with the increasing number of broken wires and, furthermore, a redistribution of forces among the intact wires of the damaged layer with high stress concentration in the wires close to the damaged ones.Copyright

On the Axisymmetric Response of a Damaged Flexible Pipe

This work focuses on the structural analysis of a damaged 9.13″ flexible pipe to pure and combined axisymmetric loads. A set of experimental tests was carried out considering one up to ten broken wires in the outer tensile armor of the pipe and the results obtained are compared to those provided by a previously presented finite element (FE) model and a traditional analytical model. In the experimental tests, the pipe was firstly subjected to pure tension and, then, the responses to clockwise and anti-clockwise torsion superimposed with tension were investigated. In these tests, the induced strains in the outer armor were measured. Moreover, the axial elongation of the pipe was monitored when the pipe is subjected to tension, whilst the twist of the pipe was measured when torsion is imposed. The experimental results pointed to a slight decrease in the stiffness of the pipe with the increasing number of broken wires and, furthermore, a redistribution of forces among the intact wires of the damaged layer with high stress concentration in the wires close to the damaged ones. Both theoretical models captured these features, but, while the results obtained with the FE model agreed well with the experimental measurements, the traditional analytical model presented non-conservative results. Finally, the results obtained are employed to estimate the load capacity of the pipe.Copyright

New Methodology for Flexible Riser End-Fittings Fatigue Assessment Based on Remote S-N Curves

Production of oil and gas in the Brazilian pre-salt will face several technical challenges. One of them that is a major concern is the fatigue life of top risers end-fittings. The new ultra-deep water fields will require a complete new fatigue assessment methodology with higher accuracy. Besides that, the historical data of failure for this sort of equipment shows that the current methodology is not quite optimized for floating units operating in deep water fields. With this, even worst results are expected in ultra-deep water fields.During its assembly inside the end-fitting, the tensile armor wires need to be folded, unfolded and set in position using epoxy resin. This assembly process involves localized plastic deformation and as consequence of this produces a complex residual stress field and also introduces an elastic stress to maintain the wires in position. Both stresses are not actually taken into account in the current fatigue assessment methodology.Therefore, the aim of this work is to develop and evaluate a new fatigue assessment methodology for top risers end-fittings based on remote S-N curves. The proposed methodology takes into account both residual and assembly elastic stresses. The effect of stress concentration on the tensile armor wire at the region with localized plastic deformation is also evaluated. Basically, the objectives of this investigation will be achieved through the construction of remote S-N curves using a test box that contains the deformed wire embedded in resin representing a single wire physical 2D model of an end-fitting, the so called mid-scale testing. For this investigation, a six inches API end-fitting was selected because it is widely used and most available in the market.The results produced here indicated that the localized plastic deformation imposed during the folding and unfolding process has a very important detrimental effect on the flexible risers end-fittings tensile armor wires fatigue life, which makes mandatory a revision of the current four-point bending fatigue assessment methodology.Copyright

A Methodology to Predict the Remaining Fatigue Life of a Flexible Pipe With Broken Tensile Armor Wires

In this work, an approach to predict the remaining fatigue life of flexible pipes with damages in their tensile armor wires is proposed. This approach relies on a previous proposed approach to calculate the fatigue life of intact flexible pipes. By relying on results from theoretical and experimental investigations, the previous proposed expressions were modified in order to account for damages in the tensile armor wires of these structures. Furthermore, the computation of the fatigue life was also modified in order to account for results from inspections in these pipes thus allowing the estimative of the remaining fatigue life of the pipe. The use of this methodology is illustrated in the analysis of a 9.13″ flexible pipe considering different conditions in its outer tensile armor wires: intact and with one up to ten wires broken along time. The results obtained indicate that the rupture of the tensile armor wires may significantly reduce the fatigue life of flexible pipes and, consequently, may lead to the premature failure of the pipe.Copyright

Fatigue Analysis of a 6” Flexible Pipe With Broken Tensile Armor Wires

This work focuses on a methodology to predict the fatigue life of flexible pipes with wires broken in their tensile armors. Initially, the mechanical behavior of these pipes is discussed. Relying on this discussion, a simple set of equations is proposed in order to calculate the stresses in the armors of these pipes. These equations employ pre-estimated linear coefficients to convert forces and moments that act on the pope into stresses. These stresses are then processed by well-known cycle counting methods and S-N curves are finally used to evaluate fatigue damage at several points in the pipe’s cross section. The use of this methodology is exemplified by the assessment of the fatigue life of a 6” flexible pipe in which 0 up to 5 wires of its outer tensile armor are broken. The results indicate a substantial reduction in the fatigue life of the pipe with the increasing number of wires broken.Copyright

A Novel Concept of Flexible Pipe End Fitting: Tensile Armor Foldless Assembly

The structural behavior of the flexible pipe tensile armors inside the end fitting (EF) is different from the one observed in the pipe body. The actual design methodology shows that the end fitting of the riser top section (at the interface with the floating unit) is critical with respect to fatigue, as stress concentration that occurs in this region during the end fitting assembly leading to significant plastic strains.Aiming at improving the structural performance of flexible risers, Petrobras designed and patented a novel concept of flexible pipe end fitting in which its assembly can be carried out without the need of folding the tensile armor thus avoiding the introduction of plastic strains and residual stresses in this layer.In order to assess and quantify the benefits of this new concept, in this work, a comparative study between the current end fitting concept used by the industry and the new technology proposed by Petrobras was conducted. This study comprises not only the stress distribution along the wire inside the end fitting but also the fatigue performance. For this purpose, finite element analyses have been carried out considering the entire end fitting mounting process and also the operational loads.These analyses were calibrated with results from midscale tests in which a longitudinal slice of the real end fitting was simulated. An instrumented tensile armor wire was embedded in the resin epoxy and pulled out from a test device.The results obtained show that the using of the proposed technology results in a considerably end fitting fatigue performance improvement.Copyright

On the Structural Response of a Flexible Pipe With Damaged Tensile Armor Wires

This paper studies the structural response of a 6.0″ flexible pipe under pure tension considering two different situations: the pipe is intact or has five wires broken in its outer tensile armor. A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model devoted to analyze the local mechanical response of flexible pipes is employed in this study. This model is capable of representing each wire of the tensile armors and, therefore, localized defects, including total rupture, may be adequately represented. Results from experimental tests are also presented in order to validate the theoretical estimations. The theoretical and experimental results indicate that the imposed damage reduced the axial stiffness of the pipe. High stress concentrations in the wires near the damaged ones were also observed and, furthermore, the stresses in the inner carcass and the pressure armor are affected by the imposed damage, but, on the other hand, the normal stresses in the wires of the inner tensile armor are not.Copyright