Effect of Ovality Length on Collapse Strength of Imperfect Sandwich Pipes Due to Local Buckling

Abstract

The effect of ovality length on imperfect sandwich pipes is investigated using the finite element method in the scenario of local buckling under external pressure. First, the finite element model of the imperfect sandwich pipelines is established in ANSYS and is validated by comparing the results from numerical simulation with those from experiments. Then, the effect of ovality features on the collapse strength of the sandwich pipes is studied. At last, based on the calculation results from 1200 cases, a prediction equation is proposed to represent the relationship between collapse strength and ovality length of imperfect sandwich pipes. Good agreement is achieved between the proposed equation and the calculation results, leading to the conclusion that the proposed simplified model can be an efficient tool in the evaluation of the local collapse strength of subsea sandwich pipes under external pressure.