Numerical investigation of friction joint between basalt fiber reinforced composites and aluminum

© Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Flexible risers are used in the offshore oil industry for exporting hydrocarbons from subsea equipment to floating production and storage vessels. The latest research in unbonded flexible pipes aims to reduce weight by replacing metal components with composite materials. This would result in lighter and stiffer flexible risers, which would be well suited for ultra deep water applications. This paper develops a new finite element model used for evaluating the efficiency of anchoring flat unidirectional fiber reinforced tendons in a mechanical grip. It consists two flat grips with the fiber reinforced tendon in between. The grips are pressed against the composite and the pullout force is ensured through friction. The novelty of the paper is represented by the detailed investigation of the influence between the coefficient of friction and the pullout force. By comparing numerical and experimentally obtained results, it is possible to show the importance of friction decay in the grip. Improper contact between the grips and composite is also taken into account and leads to good agreement between numerical and experimental results. This study shows how to avoid over-estimating the efficiency of such grip by using dry friction in finite element models.