Characterisation of the wave environment in the fatigue analysis of flexible risers

As the offshore industry moves towards deeper water developments and continues to embrace harsh environments, unbonded flexible pipes are increasingly being utilised as a cost effective riser solution. Furthermore, with the advent of issues such as non-pristine annuli environments, the fatigue performance of these flexible risers is becoming a critical issue. This paper presents an overview of the comparisons between deterministic and stochastic global fatigue analysis techniques. Methods used to perform both deterministic and stochastic analyses are outlined, from performing the global analyses to using local models to generate armour wire stresses and subsequent fatigue damage. The paper identifies the key issues in the analysis performed and presents key results and conclusions with regard to the characterisation of the wave environment in the global fatigue analysis of flexible risers.