Numerical analysis of detaching and wrinkling of mechanically lined pipe during its spooling-on stage to the reel

• Quasi 2D models simulating the gripping stresses preserved in the mechanically lined pipe (MLP).
• Critical spooling-on curvatures prediction for MLP liner-detaching.
• A comparative analysis for the liner wrinkling behaviors of MLPs with different wall thicknesses of outer layers.

The structural behavior of mechanically lined pipes (MLPs) during the spooling-on phase is investigated in this paper, motivated by their promising offshore applications relying on reel installation. By applying quasi 2D models, we first investigated the gripping stresses preserved in the MLP after the hydraulic expansion manufacturing process and the detachment of the liner under spooling-on curvatures. Furthermore, a comparative 3D finite element (FE) analysis for the liner wrinkling behaviors of MLP with different wall thicknesses of outer layers was performed and indicated that when the wall thickness of outer layer increases from 14.3 mm to 17.9 mm, MLP’s critical spooling-on curvature increased more than 47%, reaching 0.1432 rad/m.