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U.S. Department of Energy
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Progressive fracture of composite offshore risers

Book ·
OSTI ID:86252
 [1];  [2]
  1. NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)
  2. Clarkson Univ., Potsdam, NY (United States)

Structural durability/damage tolerance characteristics of a pressurized fiber composite tube designed as an offshore oil production riser is investigated via computational simulation. The composite structure is made of graphite/epoxy angle plies and S-glass/epoxy hoop plies. An integrated computer code that accounts for all possible failure modes is utilized for the simulation of composite structural degradation under loading. Damage initiation, growth, accumulation, and propagation to structural fracture are included in the simulation. Results show the structural degradation stages due to pressurization of a composite riser and illustrate the use of computational simulation for the investigation of a composite tube.

OSTI ID:
86252
Report Number(s):
CONF-950116--; ISBN 0-7918-1295-2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English