Parametric Study on Dynamic Tension Behaviour of Offshore Pipeline for Deepwater S-lay Operation

In recent years, higher demands for offshore pipeline design of deepwater installation are put forward. This paper mainly aims to investigate the influence of pipelay parameters on dynamic tension behaviour of deepwater S-lay pipeline to optimize the design of pipe structure and tensioner. A full finite element model for deepwater S-lay systems is developed to simulate the dynamic response of offshore pipeline from the pipelay vessel via stinger to the seabed. The influences of water depth, outer diameter and submerged self-weight of the pipe, and stinger length on the dynamic tension behaviour of the pipeline have been quantitatively studied. A strong relevance between the axial tension of offshore pipeline and pipelay parameters is observed, which offers very intuitive evidences for the design of pipe structure and tensioners.