Abstract
Reinforced thermoplastic pipe (RTP) is used in the oil and gas industry for its good flexibility, corrosion resistance and wear resistance, especially in offshore oil and gas production process. However, they are subject to internal pressure, external pressure and tension loads that are important aspects affecting the integrity and security of the flexible pipe. Their reinforced layers are designed for bearing internal pressure and tension. In this paper, the mechanical behaviors of reinforced thermoplastic pipe with 3 layers, where the reinforced layer is aramid fiber braid layers, is investigated by numerical methods. The internal pressure burst test of reinforced thermoplastic pipes was carried out to determine the burst internal pressure and failure behaviors of RTP. A finite element model that considers the material nonlinearity as well as the friction interactions between layers was created using ABAQUS. The mechanical behavior of reinforced flexible pipe subjected to internal pressure and tension load as well as its failure model was investigated in detail. Effects of the braided angle of aramid fiber braid layers were elucidated. This study can be referenced for the applications of reinforced thermoplastic pipe in marine oil and gas production.
