The pipeline engineering students at Cranfield University are using SAGE Profile to explore new frontiers for their group projects and master theses. Recently, a group of motivated students has successfully completed an assignment on the prediction of susceptibility to upheaval buckling for buried pipelines. In addition, master theses are on-going to investigate structural reliability of free spanning pipelines, dynamic loading in SAGE Profile and the simulation of pipe-in-pipe systems.

For over 30 years, Cranfield University is organizing the M.Sc. in Offshore and Ocean Technology. This postgraduate programme provides an understanding of the underlying science, engineering principles and relevant management techniques in relation to offshore technology and pipeline engineering. During the current academic year, more than 10 Pipeline Engineering students are pushing the boundaries of SAGE Profile under the supervision of Filip Van den Abeele, who is a proud Cranfield alumni himself.

Recently, a group project on upheaval buckling was successfully completed. Eight motivated students have tested new (beta) features of the SAGE Profile engine, including a powerful algorithm to change the seabed topography to enable trenching operations. Introducing artificial imperfections, they could study the susceptibility of buried pipelines to upheaval buckling when subjected to operational temperature and pressure profiles.

Currently, a master thesis student is unlocking the potential of the explicit solver to perform transient dynamic analyses with SAGE Profile. This R&D assignment confirms the promising potential of the software suite to perform dynamic simulations like anchor impact, debris flow or trawl gear interference.

Yet another student is exploring the new features on free span assessment and fatigue analysis to perform reliability analysis for free spanning pipelines. Combining the DNV-RP-F105 span check with Monte Carlo simulations, this thesis aims at deriving confidence levels in the prediction of fatigue lifetime for free spans subjected to vortex induced vibrations.

A third student has embarked on a feasibility study to simulate pipe-in-pipe systems with SAGE Profile. This investigations covers both fully bonded pipe-in-pipe, which can be described by an equivalent single wall cross section, and sliding systems, which may dictate the need for new algorithms and numerical architectures.

Needless to say, our team is glad to support the pipeline engineering students at Cranfield University, and is warmly welcoming their academic ideas and innovations!