Abstract
The use of mechanically bonded lined pipes (MLP) is a cost-effective option for sour service applications. It has been shown that reel-lay installation of MLPs with 30 bar nominal internal pressure would ensure the wrinkle-free installation of the MLP on the seabed. The internal pressure during the remaining phases of design life such as hydrotest, leak test, and operating conditions is relatively much higher than the internal pressure used in reel lay installation and hence, provides adequate constraint to disallow liner wrinkling for these conditions.
This paper presents the findings of a finite element based analysis study to see whether minimum threshold internal pressure is required during the cycling of transient operational loading of the MLP line to prevent the onset of wrinkling of the liner. It should be noted that the experimental work to back up FE analyses cannot be undertaken due to time and cost constraints related to the simulation of transient operating conditions.
