Numerical simulation of creep behaviour of flexible riser inner liner.

The creep behaviour of an inner liner, one of the reasons for carcass tearing, may affect the structural integrity of flexible risers. This has been previously discussed without conclusive results owing to complex structure and time-dependent material properties. The present paper proposes a numerical model for predicting creep responses by means of the finite element method. In this model, series coefficient is used to characterise the viscoelastic properties of material. Consequently, the influence of geometric parameters such as span of the carcass layer and thickness of the inner layer on the deformation is observed. Moreover, a threedimensional model assembling the carcass and inner liner was established for mechanical analysis, during which the viscoelasticity of inner liner and the internal friction of the carcass are considered, after which the stress and strain distribution on each layer under the combined external pressure and axial tensile force generated by the inner liner are obtained. Additionally, the effect of external pressures on the stress distribution of the carcass cross-section was found through sensitivity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]