UmbiLay UmbiLay UmbiLay
Umbilical Layout Design & Optimization
(images do not correspond to actual production designs)
UmbiLay automates and accelerates the desgin of subsea umbilical
cross-sections.
Its one-of-a-kind solver creates symmetric, almost symmetric and non-symmetric
cross-sectional layouts with minimized outer diameters while keeping distance
constraints and simultaneously optimizing for relative specific weight or
weight to diameter ratio.
- quickly iterate on designs
- save material through diameter minimization
- optimize symmetry
- review & optimize mass properties (WDR, RSW)
- set global or per-element distance constraints
- generate multiple alternative solutions
- live editing and real-time, quick solution preview
- export solutions as DXF™ drawings
Scroll down for a more detailed feature overview.
Workflow
Enter Specifications
- add specifications for tubes, cables, sheathing, etc.
- set global constraints and/or per-group constraints
Run Solver To Generate Optimized Solutions
- review solutions and their properties
- generate more alternative solutions if needed
Export Solutions & Save Project
- export solutions as DXF™ drawings
- save specifications, settings and solutions in a project file
Modify
- edit element specifications
- experiment with mass properties
- generate new solutions, …
Umbilical Specifications Umbilical Specs Spec
Containment & Environment Containment/Environment Containment
The following parameters define the properties of the outer layers of the umbilical, its interstitial filling and its operational environment:
- sheathing thickness (mm)
- sheathing material density (kg/m³)
- bonding thickness (mm)
- bonding material density (kg/m³)
- interstitial filling material density (kg/m³)
- percentage of hollows in interstitial space (that could be filled with air or sea water)
- seawater density (kg/m³)
The umbilical's content is defined by a list of element groups. Use the buttons on top of the list to add new groups or remove selected or all groups. Groups can be enabled or disabled (with the checkboxes on the left) for easier experimentation with alternative element specs.
Tubes
with or without coating
Cables
electric cables, high power cables or fiber optic cables
Structural Elements
rods, wires or fillers
Optional Elements
Optional rods, wires or fillers can be used by the solver to create more symmetric layouts and/or optimize the umbilical's mass (WDR/RSW).
Resizable Center Wire
A wire that is fixed at the umbilical's center and can also be resized by the solver to optimize the umbilical's mass (achieve a specific WDR/RSW). The diameter is set to the minimum value if mass optimization is not enabled.
Distances
Minimum distances can be set for each group of required elements:
- min. distance to other elements (and elements of same group if no other value is set)
- min. distance to elements of same group (overrides distance to others within the group)
- min. distance to sheathing (and bonding)
- min. distance to umbilical center
- allow a single element to be placed directly in center (even if a non-zero distance to the center is otherwise required)
(blue = elements adjacent to sheathing)
The placement of each element respects both global and group-specific minimum distance values at all times. This means that a global minimum distance value that is larger than its corresponding group specific value is never overriden by that smaller group value.
The following example shows a layout where only group specific distance constraints are set and all global values are set to zero:
Lock
This option prevents the solver from splitting or merging a group and forces a maximally symmetric layout for this group in all symmetric solutions. Purely irregular solutions are not affected.
For example, a group of 6 elements won't be split up in 2 groups of 3 in a 3-fold rotationally symmetric layout, but kept together as a group of 6. A locked group also won't be merged with other groups to form larger symmetry groups.
In the following example the group of HP cables will always be laid out as a triad in all (pseudo-)symmetric solutions.
Fix
= fixes element to the umbilical's center
Distances
Use the global constraints panel to set minimum distances
- between elements in general
- between elements of the same group (overrides general distance)
- between elements directly adjacent to the sheathing/bonding (ignored if less than other minimum distance constraints)
- to sheathing and bonding
- to the umbilical's center
- optionally allow placement directly in the center even if a minimum distance to the center is otherwise required
(blue elements = adjacent to sheathing)
In addition, group specific distance constraints can be set for each element group.
The placement of each element respects both global and group-specific minimum distance values at all times. This means that a global minimum distance value that is larger than its corresponding group specific value is never overriden by that smaller group value.
Symmetry Optimization Symmetry Symmetry
UmbiLay can create layouts with pure reflectional symmetry, pure rotational symmetry, pseudo-symmetric / almost symmetric layouts (if pure symmetry is not possible) as well as dense irregular layouts.
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| pure reflectional symmetry | pure rotational symmetry | mixed/partial symmetry | no symmetry |
Goals
All symmetries & irregularities allowed
Only symmetric solutions allowed (pure & partial symmetry)
Only purely symmetrical solutions allowed
Tolerance
Elements with different diameters are allowed to be symmetry partners, if their diameter difference is less or equal to the tolerance value.
Optional wires, rods or fillers can be used by the solver to create more symmetric layouts.
The solver will automatically generate solutions with and without optional elements for different types of achievable symmetry.
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(click on images to enlarge)
Mass
UmbiLay can optimize solutions for a specific weight to diameter ratio
or relative specific weight
The solver still aims to minimize the overall umbilical diameter, but relaxes this goal as it may run counter to achieving a specific RSW or WDR.
Varying the layout and thus the outer diameter alone is often not sufficient to attain the desired RSW or WDR due to missing mass. There are currently three ways of giving the solver the flexibility to increase an umbilical's mass:
- variation of bonding thickness; enabled in the mass optimization panel
- optional insertion of rods, wires or fillers; enabled by adding optional element groups
- using a resizable center wire; enabled by adding a "Center Wire" element
Bonding
Allow the solver to vary the thickness of the outer bonding to achieve the required umbilical mass.
Add optional rods, wires or fillers (up to a maximum quantity) to achieve more symmetry and/or the required mass. In the example below the selected group of (at most 4) optional wires allowed the solver to create fully symmetric solutions with a WDR that is already within 0.5% of the target value of 165 kg/m².
Center Wire
Allow the solver to vary the diameter of a special center wire element to achieve the required mass:
Feedback
Preview
The preview allows for a quick estimation of achievable overall diameter, symmetry and physical properties. For a small number of elements the preview quality can already be very close to that of a fully optimized solution.
Depending on what symmetry goals are (de-)selected (irregular, partial, rotational, reflectional) the preview can be restricted to one type of symmetry (e.g. only irregular). If the selected symmetry goal(s) cannot be achieved (easily) the preview will first fall back to an irregular layout and if irregular symmetry is also disabled as a goal, elements will be laid out in a spiral.
Report
The solution report shows a summary of statistics and physical properties: quantities, lengths, areas, masses, submerged weights, RSW, WDR, centers of mass for different dry/wet conditions and an element listing with placement coordinates.
Live Update Of Solutions & Reports Live Solution Update Update
Solver
The solver control panel on the very bottom can be used to
- set the desired number of alternative solutions per solver run,
- set the solver quality level
(the lowest and fastest setting is great for designing, higher settings are for finding the densest possible arrangements in final designs) - set the max. percentage of compute resources (CPU threads) to use
- start and stop the solving process
Once generated, solutions are shown in the list on the left where they can be selected for inspection or removal:
Multiple Alternative Solutions Alternative Solutions Alternatives
Multiple alternative solutions can be generated in one solving run by increasing the "Alternative Solutions" setting on the solver control panel:
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| alternative reflectional symmetry solutions |
alternative symmetrical solutions |
alternative irregular solutions |
Projects & Export
Project and export commands are located in the topmost control bar:
Project Files
The current umbilical design specifications, all generated solutions and settings can be saved to a project file for later re-use or modification.
Export
The currently selected solution can be exported as DXF™ drawing, PNG image or as report text file that contains all element placement coordinates.
DXF™ Drawing
Every element in a group is placed as a DXF block reference.
PNG Image
Text File
View
The view options bar is located below the main solution view:
Center Of Mass
The center of mass can be displayed as a blue cross in the solution view for different dry/wet conditions:
- tubes empty; interstitial hollows empty (fully dry)
- tubes filled with fluids; interstitial hollows empty
- tubes empty; interstitial hollows filled with seawater
- tubes filled with fluids; interstitial hollows filled with seawater
The center of mass coordinates are also shown in the solution report:
(the dashed line marks the umbilical's geometric center)
If enabled, red symmetry markers indicate the type of symmetry (rotational, reflectional, pseudo-reflectional) and the fold number (2-fold, 3-fold, …) in the solution view:
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| 2-fold rotational symmetry | 2-fold reflectional symmetry |
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| 3-fold rotational symmetry | 2-fold partially reflectional symmetry |
