A Finite Macro-Element for Orthotropic Cylindrical Layer Modeling

Author(s):  
Rodrigo Provasi ◽  
Clóvis de Arruda Martins

The offshore industry is in constant evolution due to the need to reach increasing water depths for new oil fields exploitation. In this scenario, not only are new types of platforms being designed but also new types of risers, including new flexible pipes and umbilical cable configurations. The greatest difficulty to generate a new concept for a riser is to determine if it is viable or not. Flexible pipes and umbilical cables are complicated to model, due to the interactions between their layers and the large number of possible arrangements. To predict the mechanical behavior of flexible pipes and umbilical cables, adequate models are necessary. One can rely on finite element models (FEM), which show a great difficulty in mesh generation and convergence (especially due to the contact pairs). One can also rely on analytical models, which have many limitations due to simplifications (even though they are necessary). Another possible approach is to define macro-elements, which represent a component, instead of classical finite elements (such as tetrahedric ones). Related to that approach, this paper presents a tubular element to model a cylinder with orthotropic material properties. In the model, the displacement and the loads are described by means of Fourier series, making it possible to treat a broad class of loads. The formulation is presented in detail, giving special attention to surface loading modeling. The results obtained in case studies are compared to those of a classical finite element modeling tool with a good agreement.

Author(s):  
Rodrigo Provasi ◽  
Clo´vis de Arruda Martins

The offshore industry is in constant evolution due to the need of reach increasing water depths for new oil fields exploitation. In this scenario, not only new types of platforms are being designed, but also new types of risers, including flexible pipes and new umbilical cable configurations. The greatest difficulty to generate a new concept for a riser is to determine if it is viable or not. Flexible pipes and umbilical cables are complicated to model, due to the interactions between their layers and the large number of possible arrangements. To predict the behavior of flexible pipes and umbilical cables, adequate models are necessary. One can rely on finite element models, which show a great difficulty in mesh generation and convergence (specially due to the contact pairs). One can also rely on analytical models, which have many limitations due to simplifications (even though they are necessary). Another possible approach is to define macro elements, which represent a component, instead of classical finite elements (such as tetrahedric elements). Related to that approach, this paper presents a tubular element, which describes a cylinder with isotropic properties and can accept various sorts of loads. This element has its displacements and loads described using Fourier series and, for each term of the series, a solution is obtained. The effect is then superposed and the complete solution is obtained. This formulation is implemented and their results compared to those obtained by a classical finite element modeling tool, with good agreement.


Author(s):  
Rodrigo Provasi ◽  
Clo´vis de Arruda Martins

The offshore industry is in constant evolution due to the need of reaching new oil fields in increasingly water depths. In this scenario, not only new types of platforms are being designed, but also new types of flexible pipes and new umbilical cable configurations. The greatest difficulty to generate a new concept for a riser is to determine if it is viable or not. Flexible pipes and umbilical cables are complicated to model, due to the interactions between their layers and the large number of possible arrangements. To predict their behavior, adequate models are necessary. One can rely on finite element models, which show a great difficulty in mesh generation and convergence (especially due to the contact pairs). One can also rely on analytical models, which have many limitations due to simplifications (even though necessary ones). Another possible approach is to define macro elements, which represent a component, instead of classical finite elements (such as tetrahedral elements). Related to that approach, a numeric method using macro-elements is proposed. It consists in creating elements which has the desired characteristics of the problem in its formulation, leading to robust custom-made elements and to coarse meshes (since the complexity of the problem is within the element). Some elements are proposed in this model: a concentric one for cylindrical layer modeling; a three-dimensional curved beam for helices; a bridge element for node connection; and a contact element, for gap and friction treatment. The first two of them are already concluded and the later ones are being designed. This paper presents the three-dimensional curved beam element, which takes into account the effects of curvature and tortuosity. This is accomplished by using a strong coupling between displacements and assuming that the twist and shear strains varies linearly within the element. Using such hypothesis, the shear lock phenomenon is also avoided. This formulation is implemented and their results compared to those obtained by a classical finite element modeling tool, with good agreement.


Author(s):  
Caio C. P. Santos ◽  
Celso P. Pesce ◽  
Rafael Salles ◽  
Guilherme R. Franzini ◽  
Rafael L. Tanaka

Umbilical cables are essential elements of offshore floating production systems. Due to their complexity, the offshore industry regularly counts on numerical tools to perform design assignments. One of these assignments is to evaluate strains and stresses states in all components due to distinct sets of external loads. The main purpose of this paper is to present a numerical model for prediction of the stress and strain fields in the umbilical cable components under crushing loads. Such loads, outcoming from the laying operation, comprise the caterpillar shoes load and the squeezing effects, associated not only to the tensile armours, but also to helical components under tension. The referred model comprises a joint analysis using a two-dimensional Finite Element Method (FEM) fed by an analytical model, which represent three-dimensional effects. A combined analytical-numerical approach is much easier to implement than a complete fully three-dimensional one and it is meant to obtain results efficiently, without the need of a large computational capacity. The paper presents and discuss modeling hypotheses and methodology, describing in which way three-dimensional effects and interactions among cable components were treated. Case studies with three umbilical cables are presented.


1975 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Friedman

Analytical models are developed for calculating temperatures, stresses and distortions resulting from the welding process. The models are implemented in finite element formulations and applied to a longitudinal butt weld. Nonuniform temperature transients are shown to result in the characteristic transverse bending distortions. Residual stresses are greatest in the weld metal and heat-affected zones, while the accumulated plastic strain is maximum at the interface of these two zones on the underside of the weldment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (1) ◽  
pp. 5301-5309
Author(s):  
Luca Alimonti ◽  
Abderrazak Mejdi ◽  
Andrea Parrinello

Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) often relies on simplified analytical models to compute the parameters required to build the power balance equations of a coupled vibro-acoustic system. However, the vibro-acoustic of modern structural components, such as thick sandwich composites, ribbed panels, isogrids and metamaterials, is often too complex to be amenable to analytical developments without introducing further approximations. To overcome this limitation, a more general numerical approach is considered. It was shown in previous publications that, under the assumption that the structure is made of repetitions of a representative unit cell, a detailed Finite Element (FE) model of the unit cell can be used within a general and accurate numerical SEA framework. In this work, such framework is extended to account for structural-acoustic coupling. Resonant as well as non-resonant acoustic and structural paths are formulated. The effect of any acoustic treatment applied to coupling areas is considered by means of a Generalized Transfer Matrix (TM) approach. Moreover, the formulation employs a definition of pressure loads based on the wavenumber-frequency spectrum, hence allowing for general sources to be fully represented without simplifications. Validations cases are presented to show the effectiveness and generality of the approach.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashique Iftekhar Rousseau ◽  
Abdel-Hakim Bouzid ◽  
Zijian Zhao

Abstract The axial stiffnesses of the bolt and clamped members of bolted joints are of great importance when considering their integrity and capacity to withstand external loads and resist relaxation due to creep. There are many techniques to calculate the stiffnesses of the joint elements using finite element (FE) modeling, but most of them are based on the displacement of nodes that are selected arbitrarily; therefore, leading to inaccurate values of joint stiffness. This work suggests a new method to estimate the stiffnesses of the bolt and clamped members using FE analysis and compares the results with the FE methods developed earlier and also with the existing analytical models. A new methodology including an axisymmetric finite element model of the bolted joint is proposed in which the bolts of different sizes ranging from M6 to M36 are considered for the analysis to generalize the proposed approach. The equivalent bolt length that includes the contribution of the thickness of the bolt head and the bolt nominal diameter to the bolt stiffness is carefully investigated. An equivalent bolt length that accounts for the flexibility of the bolt head is proposed in the calculation of the bolt stiffness and a new technique to accurately determine the stiffness of clamped members are detailed.


2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Huang ◽  
X. Niu ◽  
P. Shrotriya ◽  
V. Thompson ◽  
D. Rekow ◽  
...  

This paper presents the results of recent experimental and finite element studies of contact damage in model dental multilayered systems with equivalent elastic properties to those of crown/join/dentin layers that are found in dental restorations. Subsurface radial cracks are observed to form after Hertzian indentation fatigue loading. In order to explain the possible failure mechanisms, the viscous deformation of the foundation (dentinlike ceramic filled polymer) and epoxy join layers are measured. Finite element and analytical models are then developed in an effort to explain the observed contact-induced deformation of the composite multilayered system. Our results suggest that: viscous deformation of the join and foundation layers can give rise to increased tensile stresses in the top elastic layers (glass or zirconia); defects at the bottom of the top layers (induced by grinding steps before crown attachment) are also shown to promote ratcheting phenomena that can lead to stress build-up in the top layers; and viscous flow of the cement can cause the subcritical crack growth in the dental ceramics.


2002 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Ye ◽  
K. Komvopoulos

The simultaneous effects of mechanical and thermal surface loadings on the deformation of layered media were analyzed with the finite element method. A three-dimensional model of an elastic sphere sliding over an elastic-plastic layered medium was developed and validated by comparing finite element results with analytical and numerical solutions for the stresses and temperature distribution at the surface of an elastic homogeneous half-space. The evolution of deformation in the layered medium due to thermomechanical surface loading is interpreted in light of the dependence of temperature, von Mises equivalent stress, first principal stress, and equivalent plastic strain on the layer thickness, Peclet number, and sliding distance. The propensity for plastic flow and microcracking in the layered medium is discussed in terms of the thickness and thermal properties of the layer, sliding speed, medium compliance, and normal load. It is shown that frictional shear traction and thermal loading promote stress intensification and plasticity, especially in the case of relatively thin layers exhibiting low thermal conductivity.


2009 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Quintana Alonso ◽  
N. A. Fleck

The tensile fracture strength of a sandwich panel, with a center-cracked core made from an elastic-brittle diamond-celled honeycomb, is explored by analytical models and finite element simulations. The crack is on the midplane of the core and loading is normal to the faces of the sandwich panel. Both the analytical models and finite element simulations indicate that linear elastic fracture mechanics applies when a K-field exists on a scale larger than the cell size. However, there is a regime of geometries for which no K-field exists; in this regime, the stress concentration at the crack tip is negligible and the net strength of the cracked specimen is comparable to the unnotched strength. A fracture map is developed for the sandwich panel with axes given by the sandwich geometry. The effect of a statistical variation in the cell-wall strength is explored using Weibull theory, and the consequences of a stochastic strength upon the fracture map are outlined.


2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wael Bekheet ◽  
Yasser Hassan ◽  
AO Abd El Halim

Rutting is one of the well-recognized road surface distresses in asphalt concrete pavements that can affect the pavement service life and traffic safety. Previous studies have shown that the shear strength of asphalt concrete pavements is a fundamental property in resisting rutting. Laboratory investigation has shown that improving the shear strength of the asphalt concrete mix can reduce surface rutting by more than 30%, and the SUPERPAVE mix design method has acknowledged the importance of the shear resistance of asphalt mixes as a fundamental property in resisting deformation of the pavement. An in situ shear strength testing facility was developed at Carleton University, and a more advanced version of this facility is currently under development in cooperation with the Transportation Research Board and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. In using this facility, a circular area of the pavement surface is forced to rotate about a normal axis by applying a torque on a circular plate bonded to the surface. The pavement shear strength is then related to the maximum torque. This problem has been solved mathematically in the literature for a linear, homogeneous, and isotropic material. However, the models for other material properties are mathematically complicated and are not applicable to all cases of material properties. Therefore, developing a model that can accurately analyze the behaviour of asphalt concrete pavements during the in situ shear test has proven pivotal. This paper presents the development of a three-dimensional finite element model that can simulate the forces applied while measuring the shear strength of the asphalt concrete pavement. A comparison between the model results and those obtained from available analytical models and field measurements proved the accuracy of the developed model.Key words: shear strength, in situ testing, finite element, asphalt, pavement, modelling.


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