FACULTY OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

School of Engineering

EN4701

Failure Analysis

FLEXIBLE RISER FAILURE COURSEWORK

Your group has been appointed to investigate the sudden collapse of the section of flexible
riser lying on the seabed at a nominal external pressure much lower than the rated value. The
well is located in the water depth of 1900 m. Although there were no undesired consequences due
to sudden failure, there are concerns that this may lead to the huge financial liability and
environmental disaster. In order to prevent the reoccurrence of this failure event, a detailed failure
analysis should be carried out. The study will also help understanding underlying failure mechanism.

The internal pressure and temperature of the production fluid with pH of 5 in the flexible riser was
1 MPa (due to sudden depressurisation) and 56°C at the time of sudden collapse. During the normal
operation, the internal pressure was recorded as 22 MPa.

On first inspection, no external sheath breach on the flexible pipe was found. The vent in the end
fittings was also found to be operating between pressure ranges of 10 to 7 MPa.

You are the Failure Analysis Specialists who have been hired by the Safety Inspectorate to investigate
the elevator failure. They are particularly concerned to avoid such failures in the future. Prepare a
report to the Inspectorate which covers the following aspects:

• General circumstances of failure

• Technical explanation of the reason(s) for failure (include relative calculations)
• Discussion of relevant points
• Conclusions and Recommendations
Word Guide: Your structured report must not exceed 1500 words.

Some information will be handed out at scheduled lectures and there will be a short “introduction” to
the failed flexible riser. An introduction to the construction of flexible pipe, its historical failure
incidences and failure of the composite is provided on the Moodle.

If you have specific technical questions then will provide specific answers.

General questions will be met with very vague answers.

The deadline for the report is 12.00 on Monday 21st November 2016, when you should submit an
electronic version in Word on campusmoodle.

Image of the collapsed Flexible Riser:

Useful relations:

Since the pipe was lying on the seabed, there was no bending involved. Additionally, it was well
disconnected from the vessel movement. The following (American Petroleum Institute, load
resistance factor design) expression calculates the stress in the pipe wall at the time of elastic buckling
(Fhe) and collapse pressure (Pe):
 Geometric Parameter
1
L æ 2D ö 2
M= sç ÷
Dè t ø

Hoop Buckling Coefficient

0.44t D
Ch = @ M ³1.6
D t
3
æ Dö
0.21ç ÷
Ch =
0.44t
+ è t ø @ 0.825 D £ M < 1.6 D
4
D MHoop t
Buckling Coefficient
t
0.736 D
Ch = @ 3.5 £ M < 0.825
M - 0.636 t
0.755
Ch = @1.5 £ M < 3.5
M - 0.559
Ch = 0.8 @ M < 1.5

Hoop Stress due to Hydrostatic Pressure

PD
fh =
2t

Elastic hoop buckling stress

2Ch . E . t
Fhe =
D

Where,

E = Modulus in hoop direction;

D = 0.322 m (diameter)

t = 50.8 mm (thickness)

The expressions were developed for the analysis and design of steel pipes under external pressure.
Because it is meant for use in the load resistance factor design (LRFD) format, no implicit safety factor
in the equations is used. Ch is function of M and which varies with respect to the distance between the
stiffeners or ends of the pipe. It is to be noted that the expression for Ch is calibrated.
Critical hoop buckling stress
Fhc = Fhe @ Fhe £ 0.55 Fy
Fhc = 0.45 Fy + 0.18 Fhe @ 0.55 Fy < Fhe £ 1.6 Fy
1.31Fy
Fhc = @ 1.6 Fy < Fhe < 6.2 Fy
æ Fy ö
1.15 + çç ÷÷
è he ø
F
Fhc = Fy @ Fhe > 6.2 Fy

General Guidance to Marking Scheme:

 General circumstances of failure : All parameters are listed - 20%

Prepare a list all parameters and
environmental/operational
circumstance in which riser failed.
 List all possible causes of flexible  All possible causes of flexible riser
riser failure (collapse) failure are included -20%
 Select most appropriate cause of • Current cause is identified and
riser failure (collapse) by ruling out supported with clear technical
all other possible failure causes. reasoning. -30%
Support your decision of selecting a
particular failure criterion with
technical explanation of the
reason(s) for failure (if required,
include relative calculations, discuss
the test results/plots)
• Reference, report format, • 20%
professional approach to report,
correct use of units, figure/caption,
content page, page numbers and
name is included. Word limit (not
content page, abstract, summary,
reference, appendix words will be
counted towards word limit) is not
exceeded.
• Conclusions and Recommendations • 10%
to avoid such failure in future.