Dynamic behavior of risers under nonlinear oceanic environmental loading

Abstract

The riser system acts as the vital link between the subsea blow-out preventer and the drilling platform. Affected by factors like top tension and marine environmental forces, the riser undergoes deformation and wear, carrying the risk of environmental pollution and financial losses upon failure. Hence, this study examines the riser's dynamic response to marine environmental loading. Initially, the motion differential equation for the riser system under the influence of nonlinear oceanic load is deduced using the principle of minimum potential energy and the variational method for extremum seeking. Subsequently, a nonlinear wave-current load model based on the Morrison equation is established, and the resulting equation is discretized into a finite element model using third-order Hermite interpolation function and the Galerkin weighted residual method. Finally, the dynamic response of the riser is scrutinized employing the Newmark numerical integration method. The study also investigates the impact of both oceanic environmental parameters and drilling parameters on the riser’s dynamic behavior. Comparative analysis of the numerical results reveals that the maximum displacement of the riser occurs at the middle section, whereas the maximum deflection angle is observed at the end of the riser. The periodicity of the deflection angle response is influenced by the position of the riser, showing a trend of decreasing and then increasing from the middle section towards the ends. Notably, the top tension and the velocity of the surface tidal current significantly affect the dynamic behavior of the riser. The findings of this study provide a theoretical foundation for the assessment of riser reliability and the determination of operational parameters.