Finite Element Modelling of Pressure Armour Unlocking Failure in Unbonded Flexible Risers

Flexible pipes can be subjected to extreme bending load during installation and in situ operations, as well as high pressure from oil and gas field production fluids. Although field experience shows that the unlocking of the pressure armour layer is a rare failure mode, its consequences are potentia...

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Main Authors: Rongzhi Wei, Xiaotian Li, Murilo Augusto Vaz, Anderson Barata Custódio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/3/411
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author Rongzhi Wei
Xiaotian Li
Murilo Augusto Vaz
Anderson Barata Custódio
author_facet Rongzhi Wei
Xiaotian Li
Murilo Augusto Vaz
Anderson Barata Custódio
author_sort Rongzhi Wei
collection DOAJ
description Flexible pipes can be subjected to extreme bending load during installation and in situ operations, as well as high pressure from oil and gas field production fluids. Although field experience shows that the unlocking of the pressure armour layer is a rare failure mode, its consequences are potentially catastrophic. To investigate the unlocking mechanism of the pressure armour layer, a 3D nonlinear finite element model is developed, which contains three layers: a pressure armour layer with a “Zeta” shape cross-section, a polymer layer, and an analytical cylindrical surface representing the radial support from the carcass. The analysis is carried out with the ABAQUS Dynamic Explicit solver using a semi-automatic mass scaling factor. The study focuses on the possibility of pressure armour unlocking due to bending load, where the effects of geometric features of the pressure armour layer and internal pressure value on unlocking are investigated by varying corresponding parameters. The influence of these variables are discussed at the end. Ultimately, in conjunction with the numerical analysis results, critical reflections on the shortcomings of the model and suggestions for improvement are presented based on the numerical analysis results.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2077-1312
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
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series Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
spelling doaj-art-d39f69519cdf40b9bc88be44b1ba6eeb2025-08-20T03:43:34ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122025-02-0113341110.3390/jmse13030411Finite Element Modelling of Pressure Armour Unlocking Failure in Unbonded Flexible RisersRongzhi Wei0Xiaotian Li1Murilo Augusto Vaz2Anderson Barata Custódio3Ocean Engineering Program, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-611, BrazilSchool of Marine Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, ChinaOcean Engineering Program, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-611, BrazilCentro de Pesquisas Leopoldo Américo Miguez de Mello (CENPES,) Petrobras, Rio de Janeiro 21941-915, BrazilFlexible pipes can be subjected to extreme bending load during installation and in situ operations, as well as high pressure from oil and gas field production fluids. Although field experience shows that the unlocking of the pressure armour layer is a rare failure mode, its consequences are potentially catastrophic. To investigate the unlocking mechanism of the pressure armour layer, a 3D nonlinear finite element model is developed, which contains three layers: a pressure armour layer with a “Zeta” shape cross-section, a polymer layer, and an analytical cylindrical surface representing the radial support from the carcass. The analysis is carried out with the ABAQUS Dynamic Explicit solver using a semi-automatic mass scaling factor. The study focuses on the possibility of pressure armour unlocking due to bending load, where the effects of geometric features of the pressure armour layer and internal pressure value on unlocking are investigated by varying corresponding parameters. The influence of these variables are discussed at the end. Ultimately, in conjunction with the numerical analysis results, critical reflections on the shortcomings of the model and suggestions for improvement are presented based on the numerical analysis results.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/3/411flexible riserpressure armour layerunlocking failure analysisfinite element modelling
spellingShingle Rongzhi Wei
Xiaotian Li
Murilo Augusto Vaz
Anderson Barata Custódio
Finite Element Modelling of Pressure Armour Unlocking Failure in Unbonded Flexible Risers
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
flexible riser
pressure armour layer
unlocking failure analysis
finite element modelling
title Finite Element Modelling of Pressure Armour Unlocking Failure in Unbonded Flexible Risers
title_full Finite Element Modelling of Pressure Armour Unlocking Failure in Unbonded Flexible Risers
title_fullStr Finite Element Modelling of Pressure Armour Unlocking Failure in Unbonded Flexible Risers
title_full_unstemmed Finite Element Modelling of Pressure Armour Unlocking Failure in Unbonded Flexible Risers
title_short Finite Element Modelling of Pressure Armour Unlocking Failure in Unbonded Flexible Risers
title_sort finite element modelling of pressure armour unlocking failure in unbonded flexible risers
topic flexible riser
pressure armour layer
unlocking failure analysis
finite element modelling
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/3/411
work_keys_str_mv AT rongzhiwei finiteelementmodellingofpressurearmourunlockingfailureinunbondedflexiblerisers
AT xiaotianli finiteelementmodellingofpressurearmourunlockingfailureinunbondedflexiblerisers
AT muriloaugustovaz finiteelementmodellingofpressurearmourunlockingfailureinunbondedflexiblerisers
AT andersonbaratacustodio finiteelementmodellingofpressurearmourunlockingfailureinunbondedflexiblerisers