Composite Pipe-Laying Stinger for Corrosion and Wave Load Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stingers used in maritime pipe laying operations are prone to corrosion, damage, and high maintenance costs due to their steel composition and weight, limiting their use in rough seas and increasing operational costs and time.
Innovation Solution
A stinger formed from non-metallic materials, such as composite materials made from fibers and polymers, with a unique geometry and buoyancy system that reduces hydrodynamic loads and allows for operation in higher sea states without suspension, featuring a first and second body member with varying widths and inner chambers for buoyancy control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional steel stingers are used, then structural strength is sufficient, but corrosion and damage occur in saltwater environments increasing maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The stinger is constructed using composite materials (fiberglass, carbon fiber, or other non-metallic composites) instead of conventional steel. These composite materials provide excellent corrosion resistance in saltwater environments while maintaining sufficient structural strength, thereby eliminating the corrosion and damage issues that lead to high maintenance costs.
2Strength
If conventional steel stingers are used, then structural strength is adequate, but weight is excessive causing damage near attachment points
Solution Approach 1:
Composite materials offer a high strength-to-weight ratio, providing the necessary structural strength to withstand hydrodynamic loads and pipe weight while significantly reducing the overall weight of the stinger. This prevents the constant heving in rough seas from damaging the stinger near the vessel attachment point.
3Strength
If conventional steel stingers are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but hydrodynamic loads are excessive in rough seas
Solution Approach 1:
The stinger incorporates flexible elements and a streamlined hull design that allow it to flex and move with wave action rather than rigidly resisting hydrodynamic forces. This flexibility reduces the peak loads experienced during constant heving in rough seas while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stinger is designed with dynamic characteristics that allow it to adapt to varying sea conditions. The flexible construction and streamlined shape enable the stinger to move with the waves, converting static load resistance into dynamic load management, thereby reducing hydrodynamic forces in rough seas.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional steel stingers are used, then manufacturing experience is available, but transportation expenses are high due to weight
Solution Approach 1:
While composite material manufacturing requires different expertise than steel fabrication, the reduced weight of the stinger (by 50% or more compared to steel) results in significant transportation cost savings. The composite construction allows for modular assembly and is particularly advantageous for transporting the stinger to and from remote offshore locations.
5Strength
If conventional steel stingers are used, then structural strength is sufficient, but operation must be suspended in rough seas
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible, streamlined design allows the stinger to withstand rough sea conditions without damage, enabling continuous pipe laying operations even in higher sea states that would previously require suspension of work.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic design characteristics enable the stinger to operate safely in rougher seas by adapting to wave motions, thereby extending the range of sea states in which pipe laying can continue without interruption and improving overall operational continuity.
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 non-metallic stinger is lighter, more buoyant, and corrosion-resistant, reducing maintenance costs and enabling pipe laying operations in rougher seas, thus completing projects more quickly and cost-effectively while minimizing damage and transportation expenses.
Implementation Method 1
Conventional stingers fabricated from steel. Thus, conventional stingers corrode in the presence of saltwater.
Implementation Method 2
The hydrodynamic load includes the wave action acting on the stinger, the buoyancy force exerted by the sea against the stinger
Implementation Method 3
The hydrodynamic load includes the wave action acting on the stinger, the buoyancy force exerted by the sea against the stinger, and the drag force exerted by the sea against the stinger
Data Source
AI summary
A stinger including a first member formed from a first non-metallic material, a second body member formed from a second non-metallic material, and a plurality of cross-support members disposed between the first body member and the second body member. The first body member includes a first lower portion, a first upper portion, and a first intermediate portion disposed between the first lower portion and the first upper portion. A width of the first lower portion is greater than a width of the first intermediate portion and a width of the first upper portion, and wherein the width of the first upper portion is greater than the width of the first intermediate portion. The second body member includes a second lower portion, a second upper portion, and a second intermediate portion disposed between the second lower portion and the second upper portion.