Dynamic characteristics of an underwater pipeline

Abstract

The current upsurge in offshore drilling for oil and gas and new deep water terminals for the supertankers have created a demand for deep water pipelines. These pipelines are being laid in deeper and more hostile waters than ever before. This study represents an effort to put the pragmatic design practices on a firmer scientific footing. The experimental study represents a novel approach with wide band random excitation being applied to the pipe model through inertial coupling. This represents an improvement over the conventional harmonic excitation applied at reduced Reynolds numbers. The analytical model results in a simple solution for the mean square response. The solution is in excellent agreement with the experimental results. Finally, two areas of further research are identified these include the linearized model for fluid damping and the measurement of actual prototype excitation spectra.