Finite Element Analysis of Umbilical Cables Anchoring Systems Including Frictional Contact

The armor pots on an umbilical system are critical accessories that are subjected to high tensile loads. To ensure tensile resistance to an umbilical cable connection, its structural elements must be properly anchored to the armor pot. One way to provide that connection is the use of the adhesive properties of an epoxy resin. When designing this type of ancillary, it is important to determine the stress and strain distributions along the structural anchored components and thus ensure that they can withstand the loads. In this context, three-dimensional fully parameterized finite element models with bonded contact have already been developed, consisting of a good alternative to evaluate the critical delamination load. However, for a more complete understanding of the anchoring phenomenon, it is also important to analyze the effects caused by the sliding of the tendons and tubes inside the resin: friction gives additional axial resistance and bending-torsion effects can occur while these elements are being pulled out. Therefore, in this article three-dimensional anchoring models are presented with standard contact, which enables normal and unilateral tangential gap formations and considers the effects of friction, allowing the reproduction of the desired phenomenon.