Propagation Buckling of Subsea Pipelines and Pipe-in-Pipe Systems

Abstract

This chapter investigates buckle propagation of subsea single-walled pipeline and pipe-in-pipe (PIP) systems under hydrostatic pressure, using 2D analytical solutions, hyperbaric chamber tests and 3D FE analyses. Experimental results are presented using hyperbaric chamber tests, and are compared with a modified analytical solution and with numerical results using finite element analysis for single-walled pipelines and PIPs. The experimental investigation is conducted using commercial aluminum tubes with diameter-to-thickness (D/t) ratio in the range 20–48. The comparison indicates that the modified analytical expression presented in this work provides a more accurate lower bound estimate of the propagation buckling pressure of PIPs compared to the existing equations, especially for higher Do/to ratios. A 3D FE model is developed and is validated against the experimental results of the propagation bucking. A parametric FE study is carried out and empirical expressions are provided for buckle propagation pressures of PIPs with (Do/to) ratio in the range 15–25. Moreover, empirical expressions are proposed for the collapse pressure of the inner pipe (Pci), the proposed empirical equation for Pci, is shown to agree well with the experimental results of the tested PIPs.