Thermoplastic Composite Pressure Armour for Lightweight Flexible Pipes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flexible pipes used in deep and ultra-deep water environments face challenges with increased weight and material costs due to the use of thicker materials for pressure armour layers, which are necessary to withstand radial forces, and struggle with environmental factors like temperature and pressure.
Innovation Solution
A thermoplastic composite is developed by commingling polymer filaments and carbon fibre filaments to form a tape that can be wound around a pipe body, providing a lightweight and strong pressure armour layer with varying carbon fibre concentrations to enhance mechanical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If thicker and stronger materials are used for pressure armour layers, then the load response and performance improve, but the weight of the flexible pipe increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining carbon fibre filaments with thermoplastic polymer matrix to form pressure armour layers. This composite structure provides high strength-to-weight ratio, delivering improved load response while minimizing weight increase compared to conventional solid metal wires
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by controlling the orientation, concentration, and distribution of carbon fibre filaments within the polymer matrix. By adjusting these parameters, the pressure armour layers achieve optimized mechanical properties that provide enhanced strength without proportionally increasing weight
2Strength
If thicker and stronger materials are used for pressure armour layers, then the load response and performance improve, but material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials consisting of carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic polymers that provide superior strength-to-cost ratio compared to conventional solid metal wires. The composite structure allows achieving required load response with reduced material quantity and lower overall cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the carbon fibre concentration, orientation, and distribution within the polymer matrix. These parameter optimizations enable achieving target mechanical properties with minimized material usage, thereby reducing material costs while maintaining required performance
3Force
If conventional wound wire armour layers are used, then radial forces are absorbed, but the pipe structure becomes complex and heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional wound wire armour layers with composite pressure armour layers made of carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic polymers. This substitution maintains radial force absorption capability while simplifying the pipe structure by eliminating the need for complex interlocking wire geometries and reducing the number of discrete components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes flexible composite shells by forming pressure armour layers as continuous or discontinuous wound layers of thermoplastic composite material. These composite layers provide radial force absorption through their structural design while maintaining flexibility and simplifying the overall pipe construction compared to traditional metal wire armour
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The thermoplastic composite offers improved mechanical strength and adhesion, reducing weight and material costs while maintaining the ability to absorb radial and axial forces, thus enhancing the performance of flexible pipes in extreme environments.
Implementation Method 1
commingling polymer filaments and carbon fibre filaments to form an intimate mixture
Implementation Method 2
fluoropolymer has a melt flow index (230° C./2.16 kg) in the range of 40 to 80 g/10 min
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making a flexible pipe layer, which method comprises: commingling polymer filaments and carbon fibre filaments to form an intimate mixture, forming yarns of the commingled filaments, forming the yarns into a tape, and applying the tape to a pipe body to form a flexible pipe layer.