摘要 |
A fairing includes two half-shells of fiber reinforced plastic or fiberglass. The shell halves are shaped to close around the buoyancy modules (e.g., cylindrical syntactic foam buoyancy modules) commonly used on deep-water risers, but with an extended trailing edge. The fairing includes a tail that streamlines the riser and reduces/prevents formation of the vortex, which causes drag and vibration. Hinges at the tail join the halves and enable them to be opened for assembly around the riser pipe as it is being run into the water. The fairing may be fastened together by bolted stainless steel tensioners that tightly draw together straps of high strength aramid fiber, such as KEVLAR(R). The fairing is positioned on the riser such that the fairing is free to swivel and rotate into the current, while integral buoyancy blocks support the tail. To prevent movement up or down the riser string, the fairing is held in place by a channel clamp gripping the outside diameter of the syntactic foam buoyancy module.
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