Composite pipes risers

Key words fiber-reinforced polymer composites, pipes, risers, bonded joints, composite repair systems. 

Although there are several resources available to readers in relation to fiber-reinforced composites, especially with respect to their applications in aerospace and civil infrastructure, the material related to application of FRP in pipes, risers and storage tanks is relatively scarce. Nevertheless, there are several valuable reading resources that are usually underexplored. The following provides a list of some relevant reading resources that could be further explored by readers. Of course, of equal importance is the Internet. 

There are also a number of patents on even more challenging applications for pipes [12]. For example, ABB claimed a PEEK pipe wrapped in continuous carbon fibre PEEK composite for use as an oilfield riser. Such risers could be several kilometres long and their near neutral buoyancy and excellent environmental resistance would allow recovery of oil from the deep oceans. The specific mechanical properties of composite pipes mean that they may also find uses as drill pipes. 

Once the grout materials have cured (dependent on grout composition and site conditions, but commonly approximately 24 h), a locking protective cover is installed in concrete over the top of the riser pipe. A concrete pad is commonly installed around the protective cover with its upper surface sloped away from the cover to shed precipitation and/or surface water (Figure 1). 

Flexible risers are key components in transportation of hydrocarbons from the seabed up to the offshore floating production units. The time-varying chemical composition of the internal flow and the diffusion of some aggressive components through the various layers of the flexible pipe also implies a strong variation of the corrosive environment between the layers. This implies that assessment of the fatigue damage which is induced by the external loads and dynamic response of the flexible pipes must take these variable conditions into account. 

Filament winding has been used to provide a protective laminate on the outside of steel pressure pipes where external corrosion can take place. An example of this use is in the protection of the splash zone of steel riser pipes used on sea based oil and gas production platforms. Here, care has to be taken in the design of such a composite structure since the coefficient of expansion of the filament wound glass wrap can be lower than that of the steel core. If such a composite structure is produced using a heat cured resin system (say 120°C cure) and then subjected to subzero temperatures... 

The minimum thickness of a clay liner is five feet except in intermediate C D landfills where three feet is allowed. In a composite liner, a 60-mil or thicker geomembrane is placed directly over a 4-foot-thick clay liner. Composite liners are required for all new mimicipal waste landfills. The maximum allowable slope of inside walls of a landfill is three horizontal to one vertical. In clay-lined landfills, leachate transfer lines may penetrate die liner horizontally at the perimeter berm. An antiseep collar is placed around the transfer line penetrating the liner to minimize the escape of leachate. In composite-lined landfills, on the other hand, leachate is pumped from the landfill s leachate collection system inside a sideslope riser - a large-diameter pipe that extends from a sump at the base of the landfill to the top of the berm. 

Abstract There is strong evidence that the oil and gas industry has become increasingly interested in using pipes and risers made of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials. Moreover, oil and gas exploration nowadays has to be conducted in much deeper water depths (500-1500 m md deeper), thus requiring more resilient and lighter materials. In this section various applications of FRP in relation to pipes and risers are discussed to familiarise the reader with various FRP and hybrid pipes. 

In this section various applications of fiber-reinforced polymer composites in relation to pipes and risers, as well as the other applications relevant to the petrochemical and oil and gas industries, will be discussed. The discussion will primarily cover the structural components that are essentially load-bearing components (such as actual pipes and risers). 

In the earlier chapters, various authors have provided basic issues regarding the mechanical and physical properties of composites. An issue that may not have been fully covered, which could be considered as an important factor affecting the durability of pipes and risers made of composite, is the issue of long-term durability of GFRP when in contact with an aqueous environment, especially in the presence of relatively high temperatures. GFRP pipes and risers are subjected to harsh environments the environments... 

Before conducting a repair on a corroded pipe, analysis must be done to determine whether a repair is sufficient to restore the strength of the riser. This can be evaluated using the codes provided in ASME B31G (1991). The standard used here is compliant for onshore pipelines where the equations are only functions of the corrosion dimensions and internal pressure. Nevertheless, it provides a basis for determining the required thickness of the composite laminate. 

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