Xiaoya Liu

Unbonded flexible risers have been widely used in the field of offshore engineering in recent years due to their excellent performance in extreme dynamic marine environments, structural compliance, low installation cost, and low quality. And, the internal pressure capacity of unbonded flexible risers is an important indicator of the mechanical performance of unbonded flexible risers. Based on a 2.5-inch, 8-layer typical unbonded flexible riser model, this paper examines the burst failure of the pressure armor layer. Firstly, the balance equation of each separate cylindrical layer and helical layer is derived by functional principle, and then the overall theoretical modeling of an unbonded flexible riser under axisymmetric loads is established by additionally considering the geometric relation between adjacent layers. Secondly, fully considering the complex cross-sectional geometric characteristics and the interlayer’s contact with the unbonded flexible riser, a simplified numerical 7-layer model is established by Abaqus, and the material with elastic-plastic properties is conferred. Finally, the validity of the proposed theoretical and numerical methods is verified through the axisymmetric behavior of the test data. Then the burst failure of the pressure armor layer is analyzed based on the material. At an internal pressure of 42 MPa, the pressure armor layer reached its yield stress of 300 MPa, with the entire cross-section yielding between 42 MPa and 42.5 MPa. Additionally, the effect of the friction coefficient is examined.

Unbonded flexible risers consist of several helical and cylindrical layers, which can undergo large bending deformation and can be installed in different configurations to adapt to harsh marine environments; thus, they can be applied to transport oil and gas resources from ultra-deep waters (UDW). Due to their special geometric characteristics, they can ensure sufficient axial tensile stiffness while having small bending stiffness, which can undergo large deflection bending deformation. In recent years, the development of unbonded flexible risers has been moving in an intelligent, integrated direction. This paper presents a review of unbonded flexible risers. Firstly, the form and properties of each interlayer of an unbonded flexible riser are introduced, as well as the corresponding performance and configuration characteristics. In recent years, the development of unbonded flexible risers has been evolving, and the development of machine learning on unbonded flexible risers is discussed. Finally, with emphasis on exploring the design characteristics and working principles, three new types of unbonded flexible risers, an integrated production bundle, an unbonded flexible riser with an anti-H₂S layer, and an unbonded flexible riser with a composite armor layer, are presented. The research results show that: (1) the analytical methods of cross-sectional properties of unbonded flexible risers are solved based on ideal assumptions, and the computational accuracy needs to be improved. (2) Numerical methods have evolved from equivalent simplified models to models that account for detailed geometric properties. (3) Compared with ordinary steel risers, the unbonded flexible riser is more suitable for deep-sea resource development, and the structure of each layer can be designed according to the requirements of the actual environment.

The unbonded flexible riser has been increasingly applied in the ocean engineering industry to transport oil and gas resources from the seabed to offshore platforms. The slippage of helical layers, especially the tensile armor layers of unbonded flexible risers, contribute to the nonlinear hysteresis phenomenon, which is a research hotspot and difficulty. In this paper, on the basis of a typical eight-layer unbonded flexible riser model, the nonlinear slippage of a tensile armor layer and the corresponding nonlinear behavior of an unbonded flexible riser subjected to irregular external loads are studied by numerical modeling with detailed cross-sectional properties of the helical layers, and are verified through a theoretical method considering the coupled effect of the external loads on the unbonded flexible riser. Firstly, the balance equation of each layer considering the effect of external loads is established based on functional principles, and the overall theoretical model of the unbonded flexible riser is set up in consideration of the contact between adjacent layers. Secondly, the numerical modeling of each separate layer within the unbonded flexible riser, including the actual geometry of the carcass and pressure armor layer, is established, and solid elements are applied to all the interlayers, thus simulating the nonlinear contact and friction between and within interlayers. Finally, after verification through test data, the behavior of the unbonded flexible riser under the cyclic axial force, torsion, bending moment, and irregular external and internal pressure is studied. The results show that the tensile armor layer can slip under irregular loads. Additionally, some suggestions related to the analysis of unbonded flexible risers under irregular loads are drawn in the end.