Buckling analysis of subsea pipeline with integral buckle arrestor using vector form intrinsic finite thin shell element

Buckling damage is one of the biggest safety issues for subsea pipelines. behaviors pipeline with integral buckle arrestors under external pressure are studied experimentally and numerically herein. Pressure chamber tests four full-sized identical thickness different diameters presented. An emerging vector form intrinsic finite element method (VFIFE) introduced to simulate whole buckling process both in dynamic quasi-static cases, including local collapse, propagation, prevention, crossover. Numerical schemes multifold nonlinearities multithreaded computation proposed tested. Results experiments numerical simulations, as well computations traditional DNV specifications, compared. Thusly it indicated that VFIFE model can accurately (within ± 1.5%) predict loads initiate propagation crossover, modes pipelines practical range diameter-to-thickness ratios greater than 20. For thick parts where arrestor smaller 20 located, thin shell may underestimate structural strength about 8.0%. The directly behavior without special processing iterative calculation stiffness matrix convergence, achieve parallel efficiency over 90% a common computer (12 threads, 4G RAM). Thus, provide new, universal analytic strategy analysis.