Rolling Resistance in Rubber Coated Rollers

Rolling Resistance in Rubber Coated Rollers

Kramer, H.W.

Van Beek, A. (mentor)

Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

Precision and Microsystems Engineering

2009-09-15

One of the main methods of oil and gas transport at sea is performed by pipelines from the well or a platform offhore to another offshore structure or to land. Allseas is a company capable of installing these pipelines under various challenging operating conditions. In today's market, competition and oil and gas availability make it necessary for Allseas to operate at the top of capability. For each project, calculations are performed beforehand to ensure a vessel will be able to deal with the pipeline installation under the specified conditions. When laying pipe in deep water, the longitudinal force required to hold the pipe can go up to 1000 mT. It is found that the calculations performed to predict this force do not always correspond with reality. The process of laying pipe involves transporting pipe over rubber coated rollers to the seabed under high tensions. The contact between the pipe and the rubber coated rollers cause a rolling resistance, which is not yet included in calculations, possibly explaining (part of) the discrepancy between calculations and reality. The goal of this thesis was to determine the amount of rolling resistance caused by the contact between the rollers and the pipe when transporting the pipe to the seabed. A literature study was performed leading to an analytical model based on material properties. Furthermore, a test setup was built where rolling resistance was measured. The results of the analysis and tests have been analyzed and related to actual operating conditions. It showed that the rolling resistance is much less than currently used in practice. From these results recommendations were provided on how to further develop the acquired analytical and material models which are used for calculating rolling resistance. The research was based on Allseas' vessel 'Solitaire', the world's largest pipe lay vessel but the results can be applied to all vessels having rubber coated rollers.

rolling resistance
rubber coated rollers

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:fd597dac-0776-42b5-8da7-b96d492221ee

2010-02-25

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2009 Kramer, H.W.