A Flexible-Segment-Model-Based Dynamics Calculation Method for Free Hanging Marine Risers in Re-Entry

In re-entry, the drilling riser hanging to the holding vessel takes on a free hanging state, waiting to be moved from the initial random position to the wellhead. For the re-entry, dynamics calculation is often done to predict the riser motion or evaluate the structural safety. A dynamics calculation method based on Flexible Segment Model （FSM） is proposed for free hanging marine risers. In FSM, a riser is discretized into a series of flexible segments. For each flexible segment, its deflection feature and external forces are analyzed independently. For the whole riser, the nonlinear governing equations are listed according to the moment equilibrium at nodes. For the solution of the nonlinear equations, a linearization iteration scheme is provided in the paper. Owing to its flexibility, each segment can match a long part of the riser body, which enables that good results can be obtained even with a small number of segments. Moreover, the linearization iteration scheme can avoid widely used Newton-Rapson iteration scheme in which the calculation stability is influenced by the initial points. The FSM-based dynamics calculation is timesaving and stable, so suitable for the shape prediction or real-time control of free hanging marine risers.

A Finite Difference Approximation for Dynamic Calculation of Vertical Free Hanging Slender Risers in Re-Entry Application

The dynamic calculations of slender marine risers, such as Finite Element Method （FEM） or Modal Expansion Solution Method （MESM）, are mainly for the slender structures with their both ends hinged to the surface and bottom. However, for the re-entry operation, risers held by vessels are in vertical free hanging state, so the displacement and velocity of lower joint would not be zero. For the model of free hanging flexible marine risers, the paper proposed a Finite Difference Approximation （FDA） method for its dynamic calculation. The riser is divided into a reasonable number of rigid discrete segments. And the dynamic model is established based on simple Euler-Bemoulli Beam Theory concerning tension, shear forces and bending moments at each node along the cylindrical structures, which is extendible for different boundary conditions. The governing equations with specific boundary conditions for riser＇s free hanging state are simplified by Keller-box method and solved with Newton iteration algorithm for a stable dynamic solution. The calculation starts when the riser is vertical and still in calm water, and its behavior is obtained along time responding to the lateral forward motion at the top. The dynamic behavior in response to the lateral parametric excitation at the top is also proposed and discussed in this paper.