The Model Test of Deep Water S-Lay Stinger Using Dynamical Substructure Method

Deep water pipeline installations by S-lay present many challenges, especially in the overbend section. The S-lay requires a long curved and stiff stinger to support the pipeline weight. The interaction between the overbend pipe and stinger is complicated such that the numerical structure analysis could not sufficiently predict the mechanical behavior of the installing process. A dynamic substructure model test method with 1:20 length scale for 2000m water depth is addressed in this paper, where the large scale model structure can be tested to simulate the vessel movements during installation. The roller forces influenced by the stinger stiffness and vessel movements are discussed based on the test platform.