Finite Element Analysis and Buckling of Tight-Fit-Pipes under External Pressure

by Daniel Vassilikis

Diploma Thesis, July 2006

ABSTRACT

The construction of TFP (Tight Fit Pipe) pipelines with the reel-pipelaying method is a promising construction possibility for corrosion-free deep-water pipelines. The double-wall pipe consists of a thin ineer pip, which is corrosion resistant, with mechanical bonding with the outer thick-walled steel line pipe, which resists to the mechanical loading and the external pressure. The ultimate eternal pressure capacity from those pipes is examined, using a simulation with the finite element program ABAQUS. The problem is two-dimensional and it is modelled with plane strain elements, which take into account nonlinear geometry and plasticity effects. The modelling takes into account the manufacturing process, simulating the consecutive stages of the process.

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