Pipeline Free Span Analysis

Dr. Ir. Ahmad Taufik

(SUBSEA PIPELINE ENG.)

Introduction

Pipeline spanning can occur when the contact between the pipeline and
seabed is lost over an appreciable distance on a rough seabed.
This will cause to static overload and thus overstress of pipeline section
due to bending stress and lead to the pipeline deformation or crack.
The condition, under right current speed, pipeline span length and
weight will also causing vortex induce vibration VIV that may lead to
fatigue failure.
The discussion will focus will design how to avoid this possible
occurrence by calculating the allowable freespan in terms of static and
dynamic loading.
The vortex shedding induced oscillations due to currents is the most
deepwater pipelines limiting factor for the allowable span length.

Offshore Pipeline and Risk

Associated with it
Free Span Lead to Bending

Pipeline Integrity Management System

Other Possible
Problems related
to Freespan

Problem Description
Freespan
Freespan can result in failure of pipelines due to excessive yielding and
fatique. It may also cause interference with human activities such as
fishing. Freespan can occur due to unsupported weight of the
pipeline section and dynamic loads from waves and currents.
Vibration :
1. In Line Vibration
2. Cross Flow Vibration

Problem Description - Static Analysis

Freespan can result in failure of pipelines due to excessive yielding and
fatique. It may also cause interference with human activities such as
fishing. For static loading the maximum allowable freespan subject to
static loading

La
La
C
I
e
W

=
=
=
=
=
=
2

2 C I e
W Dtot

Allowable static freespan

end restrained constant
9.87 for pinned-to-pinned condition
Moment of inertia
Equivalent stress (Von Misses)
Uniformly distributed load per unit length

Ws ( FD FI ) 2

Maximum Allowable Freespan Offshore Pipeline

Pipeline Integrity Management System

Problem Description Dynamic Analysis

Freespan can also vibrate due to interaction of unsupported weight of
the pipeline section and dynamic loads from waves and currents.
Vibration :
1.In Line Vibration
2.Cross Flow Vibration

Problem Description - Dynamic Analysis

A. In-Line Oscillations
The amplitude of the in-line motion is only 10% of those associated with
cross-flow motion. Several parameters are used in determining the
potential for vibration. These include the reduced velocity, Ur, and the
stability parameter, Ks.

The first and second modes of in-line instability are associated with
symmetrical vortex shedding and have a peak response at reduced
velocities (Ur) of 1.9 and 2.6, respectively.

To prevent this in-line response at either mode of vortex shedding

excitation, stability parameter (Ks) > 1.8 (Wotton, 1991).

DnV also state that the resonant in-line vortex shedding induced
oscillation may occur when 1.0 < Ur < 2.2, the shedding will be alternate.

Problem Description - Dynamic Analysis

B. Cross-Flow Oscillations
Excitation in the cross-flow direction is potentially more dangerous
than that in-line since amplitudes of response are much greater than
those associated with in-line motion.
However, these oscillation occur at much larger velocities than inline oscillations and are not normally governing. The limiting value
for cross-flow oscillations based on DnV is Ks < 16.

Design Consideration

Dynamic Stresses
The presence of bottom currents can cause significant dynamic
stresses, if fluid structure interaction (vortex shedding) in these freespan areas causes the pipeline to oscillate.
These oscillations can result in fatique of the pipeline welds, which
can reduce pipeline life. The frequency of vortex shedding is a
function of the pipe diameter, current velocity, and Strouhal Number.

Design Consideration
Vortex-Shedding Frequency

The vortex-shedding frequency is the frequency at which pairs of vortices are shed from the pipeline and is
calculated based on the following:
where:
fs = vortex-shedding frequency
S = Strouhal Number
Uc = design current velocity
D = pipe outside diameter

Strouhal Number is the dimensionless frequency of the vortex shedding and its a function of the Reynolds
Number. Reynolds Number Re is a dimesionless parameter representing the ratio of inertial force to viscous
force:

where v is kinematic viscosity of fluid (1.2 x 10-5 ft 2/sec for water at 60F).

Design Consideration
Pipeline Natural Frequency

The natural frequency for vibration of the pipe span is given by the following formulas:

where
fn = pipe span natural frequency
Ls = span length
Me = effective mass
Ce = end condition constant

The end condition constant reflect the support conditions of the pipeline span.
Ce = (1.00 )2 = 9.87 (pinned-pinned)
Ce = (1.25 )2 = 15.5 (clamped-pinned)
Ce = (1. 50 )2 = 22.2 (clamped- clamped)

Design Consideration
Pipeline Natural Frequency

The effective mass is the sum of total unit mass of the pipe, the unit mass of the pipe contents,
and the unit mass of the displaced water (added mass).

where
Mp = unit mass of pipe including coating (slug/ft or kg/m)
Mc= unit mass of pipe of content (slug/ft or kg/m)
Ma= added unit mass (slug/ft or kg/m)

The added mass is the mass of water displaced by the pipeline and is calculated based on the
following:

where is mass density of fluid around the pipe (seawater = 2 slug/ft 3 or 1025 kg/m3).

Design Consideration
Reduced Velocity

The reduced velocity, Ur, is the velocity at which vortex shedding induced oscillations
may occur :

Figure 1 presents the reduced velocity for cross-flow oscillations based on the
Reynolds Number (DnV, 1981). Figure 2 presents the reduced velocity for in-line
oscillations based on the stability parameter (Ks).

Figure 1. Reduced velocity for cross-flow oscillations

based on the Reynolds Number

Figure 2. Reduced velocity for in-line oscillations

based on the stability parameter

Design Consideration
Stability Parameter

A significant for defining vortex-induced motion is the stability parameter, Ks, defined
as:

where s is logarithmic decrement of structural damping (= 0.125).

Design Consideration
Critical Span Length

The critical span length or the unsupported pipeline length at which oscillations of the
pipeline occur for a specific current is based on the relationship between the natural
frequency of the pipe free span and the reduced velocity.
The critical span length for cross-flow motion is:

The critical span length for in-line motion is :

Design Criteria
General Considerations

For preliminary design purposes, it is customary to design a pipeline

such that at no location along the pipeline route does the
unsupported pipeline length exceed the critical span length for which
in-line motion occurs due to vortex shedding, at any time during the
design life of the pipeline.

However, in deep water, where traditional deployment of span

supports is not possible, this conservative design procedure can be
quite costly (Why?)

Thus, the selection of the allowable span length can become a risk
assessment type solution.

Design Criteria

Current Velocity Selection

The calculated reduced velocity, stability parameter, Reynolds

Number, and critical span length should all be based on current
velocity that is perpendicular to the pipeline.

This design current should be based on the 100-year near bottom

current unless otherwise directed.

Design Criteria

End Condition Selection

The selection of the proper end conditions for the pipe free span has
a significant impact on the allowable span length selected.

The end condition selected can influence the calculated critical span
length by as much as 50 percent, thus making the selection of the
proper end conditions a critical step in selecting the proper
allowable span length.

5.4 Design Criteria

5.4.4 Design Parameters

Two types of motions are created by vortex shedding. The design
engineer should only design the pipeline such that in-line motion is
allowed to occur after evaluating the possible economic impacts that
a smaller allowable span length would create. Even after such a
decision has been made, the designer should undertake a fatigue
life analysis check.

Design Steps
The following steps are based on the use of figure 1 and 2 to assist in
determining the allowable pipeline free span length.
Step 1: Determine the design current (100-year near bottom
perpendicular to the pipeline)
Step 2: Calculate the effective unit mass of the pipeline
Step 3: Calculate Reynolds Number
Step 4: Calculate stability parameter
Step 5: Using the stability parameter enter Figure 2 to determine the
reduced velocity for in-line motion.
Step 6: Using the stability parameter enter Figure 1 to determine the
reduced velocity for cross-flow motion.

Design Steps
Step 7: Based on the terrain and conditions involved, determine the
type of free span end conditions and calculate the end condition
constant.
Step 8: Calculate the critical span length for both in-line and cross-flow
motion
Step 9: For the majority of projects, the allowable span length is the
critical span length calculated for in-line motion. However, when
economic factors warrant, the critical span length calculated for crossflow motion can be selected.
Step 10: When in-line motion is permitted, the fatigue life of the free
span should be calculated and evaluated for the pipeline.

Example of Design Calculation

This example calculates the allowable span length to the cross-flow

oscillation based on the following information:
Outside diameter of pipe (D)
Inside diameter of pipe (Di)
Density of fluid in pipe (f)
Density of pipe (p)
Mass of pipe and coatings (Mp)
Kinematic viscosity of external fluid (vk)
Current velocity (Uc )
Constant for clamped-pinned ends (Ce)

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

0.2757
0.2509
107
1024
74
1.565 x10-6
0.35
15.4

m
m
Kg/m3
Kg/m3
Kg/m
m2/sec
m/s

Design Calculation

Step 1 : Effective Mass

Design Calculation
Step 2 : Stability Parameter

Step 3 : Reynolds Number

Step 4 : Reduced Velocities

Ur = 1.6 from Figure 2 for in-line motion

Ur = 5.0 from Figure 1 for cross-flow motion

Design Calculation
Step 5 : Critical Span Length for Cross-Flow Motion

Step 6 : Critical Span Length for In-Line Motion

Fatigue Analysis Guideline

The fatigue life equation presented in this section is based on the

Palmgren-Miner Fatigue Model, which uses an S-N model based on
the AWS-X modified curve of the form:

Fatigue Analysis Guideline

This simplified fatigue life equation is expanded as follows:

Where:
Lf
= fatigue life (years)
Ls

= span length

Ds

= outside diameter of steel

fn

= pipe frequency (Hz)

f /fn

= frequency ratio (Figure 3)

A/D = amplitude ratio (Figure 4)

Ti
= current duration (hrs/day).

Figure 3. Chart for determination of frequency ratio based on (V/ Dofn).

Figure 4. Chart for determination of amplitude ratio

based on stability parameter(Ks).

Fatigue Calculation Procedure

The following steps should be followed when checking the fatigue life
of
free span length:
Step 1: Calculate the pipe natural frequency
Step 2: Determine the near bottom current velocity occurrence
distribution in histogram form using current duration blocks
Step 3: For each current segment determine the frequency ratio based
on (Uc/Dfn) and Figure 3.
Step 4: For each current segment determine the amplitude ratio based
on the stability parameter and Figure 4.
Step 5: Calculate the fatigue life

Recommendation on Possible Pipeline Freespan