Scribd
Upload
276 views19 pages

Submarine Pipeline Route Selection Upheaval Buckling External Pressure Collapse

This document discusses several key challenges in submarine pipeline design and installation: 1) Route selection must consider water depths, seabed terrain, environmental hazards, and other factors to minimize costs while ensuring safety and functionality. 2) Upheaval and lateral buckling can occur due to temperature changes inducing compressive stresses, requiring analytical modeling and mitigation methods like anchoring or snaking configurations. 3) Hydrostatic collapse is a risk for empty deepwater pipelines due to high external pressures and bending, with wall thickness as the main design determinant. Buckle arrestors can be installed to prevent long collapses.

Uploaded by

ppyim2012
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
276 views19 pages

Submarine Pipeline Route Selection Upheaval Buckling External Pressure Collapse

This document discusses several key challenges in submarine pipeline design and installation: 1) Route selection must consider water depths, seabed terrain, environmental hazards, and other factors to minimize costs while ensuring safety and functionality. 2) Upheaval and lateral buckling can occur due to temperature changes inducing compressive stresses, requiring analytical modeling and mitigation methods like anchoring or snaking configurations. 3) Hydrostatic collapse is a risk for empty deepwater pipelines due to high external pressures and bending, with wall thickness as the main design determinant. Buckle arrestors can be installed to prevent long collapses.

Uploaded by

ppyim2012
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 19

Platform, Pipeline and

Subsea Technology 403

Submarine Pipeline
Route Selection
Upheaval Buckling
External Pressure Collapse

Rod Pinna
Route Selection

• The shortest distance between end points


may result in minimum material costs, but
may not necessarily be the optimum pipeline
route

• Other factors that need consideration


include:
– Water Depths
– Presence of features such as rock outcrops, other
pipelines, prohibited zones, trenches, etc.
– Presence of adverse environmental features:
breaking waves, high currents
– Shipping or fishing zones
– Suitability of shore crossing
Route Optimisation

• For seabed with onerous terrain significant


savings on construction and installation costs
may be achieved by route optimisation

• Need accurate cost data for:


– Supply of linepipe
– Fabrication cost
– Free span correction
– Trenching, rock dump, weightcoat, anchoring

• Pipeline design must be reasonably complete


before route optimisation can be done
Upheaval Buckling

Temperature changes in pipeline (due to high


temperature fluid) can cause compressive
longitudinal stresses:

Anchor
Axial Point
Displacement

Axial
Force

Unrestrained section of pipe


Upheaval Buckling

The tension or compression in a fully restrained


pipeline can be estimated using the following
equation:

N  N LT  EAST  1  2  Pi  Pinst  Ai

Thermal Pressure Expansion &


Lay Tension
Expansion Poisson Contraction

N is tensile if positive in this equation


Upheaval Buckling

• The previous equation for pipe compression is


the idealised maximum force that can be
generated

• In reality some sliding may occur at the ends


of the pipe and bends and spans are likely to
result in some relaxation of the compressive
forces

• Also unlikely that full lay tension strains will


be retained during burial

• However, provides a conservative starting


point for buckling calculations
Upheaval Buckling

Picture of vertical and lateral buckling from


Hobbs:
Upheaval Buckling

The analytical method of Hobbs (1984) is


described here:

Shape of a vertical buckle may be described by


the differential equation

d2y P
dx 2

EI
y
w
8 EI
 
4x  L  0
2 2

Compare with Euler


buckling equation
Upheaval Buckling

The differential equation can be solved for the


first mode shape

A force balance between the buckled section of


pipe and the section in contact with the seabed
then leads to the maximum deflection and
bending moment

4
3 wL
ymax  2.408 10 M max  0.06938  wL2
EI
Upheaval Buckling

If we take the axial force equal to the thermally


induced force, i.e. P = EAT then the buckle
length and amplitude versus change in temperature
can be plotted
Upheaval Buckling
• Note bifurcation above equilibrium point B
• Temperatures above this point can lead to “snap-
through” – sudden instability
• Dashed lines represent different initial imperfections
Lateral Buckling

Lateral buckling is similar to upheaval buckling


except that restraint is provided by friction
rather than weight

So equation becomes

w
d2y P
dx 2

EI
y
8 EI
 2 2

4x  L  0
Lateral Buckling

Lateral buckling may also occur for a number of


mode shapes

So solutions for the first few mode shapes need to be


checked - see notes
Upheaval and Lateral
Buckling

• Analytical approaches contain some


approximations

• Finite Element analyses may be useful for


more refined assessments of upheaval and
lateral buckling
Upheaval and Lateral
Buckling

• Methods of mitigating upheaval and lateral


buckling include:

– Product cooling

– Rock dumping, anchoring, or mats

– Laying pipeline in snaked configuration


Hydrostatic Collapse

• During installation a pipeline is often empty

• Deepwater pipelines can be subjected to high


external (hydrostatic) pressures and significant
bending

• This can lead to collapse of the pipeline and


propagation along significant lengths

• Bending/Hydrostatic collapse is the main


determinant of wall thickness in very
deepwater pipelines
Hydrostatic Collapse

• The basic equation describing hydrostatic


collapse is:

Pel 

2E t D  3

1  2

• Design codes often modify this equation to


account for initial pipe ovality and material
plasticity

• Care should be taken to include ovalisation


induced during construction (e.g. reeling)
Hydrostatic Collapse

• Hydrostatic collapse behaviour has been


investigated experimentally with full scale tests
in recent years

• Unfortunately the bulk of this work remains in


the commercial domain
Buckle Arrestors

• If the pipeline is to be laid at depths where


buckling may occur Buckle Arrestors may be
installed at intervals along the pipe

• These are thick walled sections of pipe, or


sleeves welded on to existing pipeline

You might also like