Reducing oil spills created by explosions in seabed pipelines with innovative coatings to protect marine ecosystems

The present study aims to assess the impact of explosion on coated and uncoated pipes using the finite element method simulation software ABAQUS. In addition, this study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of protective coatings in reducing the vulnerability of pipelines to explosions, as well as Reducing oil spills and pollution of the marine environment. To this aim, the designed numerical models with outer diameter of 914 mm, thickness of 12.7 mm, and coating thicknesses of 12.8, 38.3, 63.8, and 89.3 mm were placed at distances of 122 and 1122 mm from TNT explosives with masses of 0.3 and 1 kg. The results revealed that utilizing a protective layer with a thickness of 89.3 mm protects the pipe against the blast wave optimally. In this case, the maximum pipe indentation intensity was about 9 mm, which is about 60% less than that in the uncoated pipe (15 mm). However, the damage created by the explosion bubble is among the key points, which has rarely been examined before. Improper design and implementation of the protective coating can lead to stress concentration and increased damage to the pipe due to the formation of the explosion bubble. Thus, the type of coating, as well as its thickness and distance from the main pipe should be selected carefully. Selecting the optimal distance for the protective coating significantly protects the subsea pipeline from the explosion and its bubble, resulting in reducing the risk of oil spills and pollution of the marine environment.