Summary
The purpose of this work is to contribute towards better understanding of the behavior of the integral-ring arrestor used to limit the damage that a propagating buckle can inflict on deep-water pipelines. This requires estimating the quasistatic cross-over pressure for different pipe-arrestor combinations with variable arrestor length, thickness and pipe diameter-to-thickness ratios. It also includes estimating the dynamic cross-over pressure with and without considering the effect of the fluid-structure interaction. From comparing quasistatic and dynamic cross-over pressures, a decision can be reached on whether designing arrestors based on the former is on the safe side or not.
A brief review of tensor and continuum mechanics equations necessary for the development of the analytical technique is presented. The nonlinear quasistatic and dynamic finite element formulations, as applicable to the problem of pipelines subjected to external pressures, is described along with other considerations. Results of the quasistatic analyses, for different pip-arrestor systems, are presented along with the results of the dynamic analyses.
Related Publications: Mansour, G.N. and Tassoulas, J.L., “Buckle Propagation and Arrest in Deep-Water Pipelines,” Proceedings, ASCE Tenth Engineering Mechanics Conference, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, May 21-24, 1995.
G.N. Mansour and J.L. Tassoulas, “Cross-Over of an Integral-Ring Buckle Arrestor: Computational Results, Journal of Engineering Mechanics, American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 123, No. 4, pp. 359-366, April 1997.
