Advancements in Thermoplastic Composite Riser Development

This paper describes the development and proof of concept of a full thermoplastic composite riser (TCR) system. The pipe design, consisting of a fully bonded composite wall, built up from melt-fused thermoplastic compound and fibres, will be discussed including fibre directions and end-fitting design. The proof of concept is executed through a comprehensive, global design approach, in which the pipe design is optimized with input from dynamic riser response analysis as well as installation aspects, for 7 different scenario’s. As part of the proof of concept, various single and combined load case testing have been conducted on full scale test specimen; the initial results of which are discussed in the paper. Finally, the approach to successfully achieve market adoption of such a safety critical component will be presented, including the qualification methodology.