Pounding Tuned Mass Damper (PTMD): An Innovative Damper for Subsea Pipeline and Jumper Vibration Controls

Abstract

This paper discusses the pounding tuned mass damper (PTMD) — a novel device developed in a joint collaboration between OneSubsea, a Schlumberger Company and the University of Houston to absorb and dissipate the undesired vibrations generated due to VIV and FIV in subsea pipeline and jumpers. The PTMD is based on principles of both the tuned mass damper (TMD) and the impact damper. The tuned mass in the PTMD absorbs the kinetic energy of the structure and dissipates the absorbed energy through collisions on viscoelastic material. During development, detailed numerical analysis and experimentation were performed to study the effectiveness of the PTMD on the jumper. In the experiment, a full size M-shaped jumper was tested in both air and shallow water conditions for VIV at NASA’s Natural Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL). The experiment also examined the robustness of PTMD for different frequency VIVs. Experimental results showed that the PTMD effectively reduced the in-plane and out-plane vibration of the jumper up to 90%. The observed reduction in vibration amplitude can reduce fatigue damage to jumpers, thus enabling oil and gas operators to optimize spending on vibration mitigation devices, minimize lost revenues, improve system lifespan and availability, and enhance operational flexibility. Reduction in stress of these pipelines also means improved reliability and reduction in costs associated with inspection, maintenance, and repair of subsea jumpers and pipelines. These long-term financial benefits and ability to be installed on existing and new jumpers (pipelines) makes the PTMD a desired solution for vibration suppression in deep water environments.