Protection Structures of Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic – Static Analysis.

Abstract: The oil- and gas industry has increasingly begun to switch from oil platforms and instead started to install the modules, process stations, etc. directly on the seabed. Some parts are more sensitive to external loads than others, and it is crucial to protect them to avoid damage on the structures and even gas/oil leakage. Protection covers made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP) is becoming more frequently used in the offshore industry due to its low cost and good mechanical properties. Common load cases that the GRP cover could be exposed to have been identified and an investigation has been carried out to see what influence different factors like lay-up sequence and the number of plies has on the GRP cover. A fast and effective working method for future projects regarding GRP covers has been developed with the usage of Ansys and Excel. Analysis showed that for the installation and trawl net friction load cases the number of failed layers are very much dependent on the lay-up sequence of the GRP cover. Installation should be done vertically in order to prevent ply failure. For the trawl impact and Trawl Over-Pull load cases the numbers of failed plies are almost independent of the lay-up sequence. The conclusion is that lay-up sequences of [0/90]s and [-45/45]s are the most appropriate ones for this type of GRP cover and for the considered load cases. A total of 48 plies were recommended to ensure a completely intact protection structure for installation and trawl net friction, and only get small local failure at the trawl impact and over-pull load cases.