Patent ID: 8688418
Filing Date: 2014-04-01
Classification: A63B,E21B,G01N,G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for design verification and validation of surface and sub-surface oil and gas equipment components comprising the steps of: (a) analyzing the components for global static strength and local plasticity with an elastic-plastic finite element model, the analysis using preset load conditions and the least favorable combination of dimensional tolerances for each component based on an initial mesh density and comprising the steps of: (b) conducting a ratcheting assessment by running an elastic-perfectly plastic analysis with the model on all equipment components that exhibit local plasticity at a maximum combination of preset load conditions to determine resistance to ratcheting by applying the maximum preset load conditions to such components to demonstrate at least one ratcheting criterion; and (c) examining all components to determine fatigue sensitive locations and subjecting components exhibiting fatigue sensitive locations to a fatigue analysis.