Monotonicity Analysis in Optimum Design of Marine Risers

The optimal design of marine risers used for drilling and production of oil in offshore operations is studied. The optimization problem is formulated on a two-dimensional model for bending of circular tubular beams under tension and internal and external static pressure. A general polynomial expression describes the external hydrodynamic loads. Monotonicity analysis is used to identify active constraints, determine design rules, and reduce the size of the problem.