The design and testing of large bore hose used for the offshore transportation of hydrocarbons

Abstract

For many years the physical design of offshore hose has relied on subjective opinion and experience only occasionally populated by factual design criteria. Similarly the testing of the same could only be described as a faint shadow of reality. It was against this background and an increasing history of hose failures that the work described by this this thesis was initiated in the form of an I .H.D project put forward by Dunlop Limited. The thesis describes the initial investigation into the problem and how this was translated into long, mediwn and short term objectives together with an action plan necessary to achieve the same. A need for objective design information was identified in the very early stag-es of the project.This precipitated the setting up and conduction of field tests, offshore Nigeria 1973, designed to monitor the forces acting on such hoses at a Single Buoy Mooring installation. In order to extend the scope of the above tests a need was highlighted for the establishment of model testing facilities aimed at studying the submarine hose system design for such terminals. Such facilities were designed, installed .and resulted in the establishment of much desired information. On the basis of the above work, a full scale test rig was designed, in order to simulate load generation on hose under laboratory conditions. The rig as designed was installed during 1976/7, following which initial hose testing has been conducted. On the basis of results to date, all indicators point to a realistic testing situation (rig and service failures relate), which should enable future hose designs to be based on scientifical fact rather than opinion.