Highlights
Benefits
- Provide real-time fatigue assessment at multiple locations of one or several risers
- With real time inputs, the software can better assist operators to monitor the pipe fatigue performance and other related riser dynamic loadings
Features
- A customized process to fit client requirements
- Validated by several full-scale tests and approved by an independent verification authority
- Interfaces with client fed data
Applications
- Monitor fatigue hot spots like top end fitting, bend stiffener region or touch down point at the same time
- Can be fitted to new or existing risers
Fatigue life of flexible risers is a critical design factor in offshore riser system design. Baker Hughes has developed a software tool to calculate the real time fatigue damage of flexible tensile wires. The tool is based on current product design tools which are calibrated and independently validated with over 30 years installed operational experience. The software utilizes an OrcaFlex API and a local analysis algorithm in the background. The software can be customized towards different platforms and pipe systems, as well as input data types. Depending on the clients’ needs, multiple fatigue hot spots like top end fitting, bend stiffener region or touch down point can be monitored at the same time. Other parameters like riser real time extreme response or statistical results can also be checked in the software.
To estimate the fatigue damage, global and local analyses are performed inhouse with inputs from operators. Metocean data, riser properties, vessel or platform RAO data are typical inputs for the fatigue analysis. In addition to the conservatism inherited in the product design methodology and API safety factor 10 for fatigue estimation, the input data may also contain some additional conservatism compared to actual operational conditions as these were estimated/projected from limited timespan of observations or predicted purely from numerical modelling. In combination, these inherited conservatisms permit the feasibility of service life extension of the flexible riser systems.
Depending on clients’ needs, multiple fatigue hot spots like top end fitting, bend stiffener region or touch down zone can be monitored at the same time. Other parameters like riser real time extreme response or statistical results can also be checked in the software. It is believed that with real time inputs, the software can better assist clients to monitor the pipe fatigue performance and other related riser responses, especially in conjunction with other IM technologies such as MAPS FR which monitor the tensile wire loaded state.