Multi-Objective Collaborative Flexibility Optimization Design of the Strengthening Layer of a Flexible Riser

Abstract

Marine flexible risers are widely used in ocean oil and gas extraction, and need to withstand environment loads (wave and current) and the large offset of the floater. Therefore, the flexible riser is subjected to tension, bending, and torsion loads, which are mainly resisted by the key strengthening layer. Small bending stiffness of a cross section of the strengthening layer with larger tension and torsion stiffness are required to be compliant with the ocean environment. The traditional design of the key strengthening layer is partially rigid with larger cross-sectional stiffnesses. Therefore, the innovative configurations of the strengthening layer are imperative to make sure that the flexible riser is reliable and safe during the installation and operation. The strengthening layer of the flexible riser is treated as the cylindrical shell composed of periodic unit-cell beam structures, which is a hypothetical model. The optimization design is conducted through the novel implementation of the asymptotic homogenization (NIAH) method. The multi-objective collaborative flexibility optimization formulation of cylindrical shell structure is proposed, considering the ratio of cross-sectional tensile torsion stiffness to bending stiffness of the strengthening layer as the objectives. The optimal configuration results, the helically wound structures, are obtained, which are the alternative strengthening components of flexible risers. Finally, the optimal structures are compared with the commonly used marine flexible riser, which gives a great verification of the methodology feasibility and explains why the strengthening layer is designed as the type of helically wound structure.