Flexcom
Flexcom is a general-purpose, finite element analysis (FEA) software package primarily used for modeling and analyzing flexible structures, particularly marine cables, umbilicals, risers, and pipelines in offshore environments. It is widely used in the oil and gas industry and the renewable energy sector for assessing the structural integrity, dynamic behavior, and fatigue life of these subsea systems.
Flexcom utilizes a time-domain simulation approach to accurately capture the non-linear effects associated with large deflections, contact, and hydrodynamic loading. The software allows users to model complex configurations and environmental conditions, including wave and current loading, vessel motions, seabed interaction, and internal fluid flow.
Key capabilities of Flexcom include:
- Static and Dynamic Analysis: Performing both static equilibrium and time-dependent dynamic simulations.
- Finite Element Modeling: Utilizing finite element methods to discretize the structure and solve for displacements, stresses, and strains.
- Hydrodynamic Loading: Accurately calculating hydrodynamic forces on submerged structures due to waves, currents, and vessel motions.
- Contact Modeling: Simulating contact between structures and the seabed, as well as self-contact within the structure.
- Material Modeling: Incorporating a wide range of material models to represent the behavior of steel, polymers, and composite materials.
- Fatigue Analysis: Predicting the fatigue life of structures based on stress history and S-N curves.
- Post-processing and Visualization: Providing tools for visualizing results and generating reports.
Flexcom is often used in conjunction with other engineering software packages for tasks such as hydrodynamic analysis, mooring analysis, and subsea control system design. Its applications include:
- Riser design and analysis
- Umbilical design and analysis
- Pipeline design and analysis
- Offshore wind turbine cable analysis
- Subsea equipment installation analysis
- Mooring system analysis