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　Hensa Akbar Al Kautsar,Ristiyanto Adiputra,Bambang Kusharjanta,et al.Flexural Capacity Evaluation of OTEC Piping System: Finite Element Analysis and Governing Formula[J].Journal of Marine Science and Application,2026,(4):1128-1144.[doi:10.1007/s11804-025-00675-8]
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Flexural Capacity Evaluation of OTEC Piping System: Finite Element Analysis and Governing Formula

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Title:: Flexural Capacity Evaluation of OTEC Piping System: Finite Element Analysis and Governing Formula

Author(s):: Hensa Akbar Al Kautsar¹; 2; Ristiyanto Adiputra²; Bambang Kusharjanta¹; Aditya Rio Prabowo¹; 3; Navik Puryantini²; Gerry Giliant Salamena⁴; Bondan Fiqi Riyalda⁵; Oleksiy Melnyk⁶; Martin Jurkovi?⁷

Affilations:

Keywords:: Renewable energy structure; Cylindrical shell; Ultimate bending moment; Nonlinear regression; Governing equation

DOI:: 10.1007/s11804-025-00675-8

Abstract:: The application of renewable energy plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable development, with one such source being ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). OTEC systems harness the temperature difference between sea surface water and deep seawater to generate electricity. A key component of the OTEC system is the piping network, which, despite its importance, has not been extensively studied. Thus, the current study aims to investigate how geometric variations and material properties affect pipe strength and to develop a predictive formula for estimating the pipe’s bending capacity. The analysis uses the finite element method (FEM), starting with a validation phase against previous studies to ensure the accuracy of the scenario and test module settings. A simulation case study is then conducted, focusing on pipe bending by varying pipe geometry and material yield stress. The results of the variation analysis show that each parameter substantially impacts pipe performance. Specifically, a smaller length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio results in a stiffer pipe, as does a smaller diameter-to-thickness (D/t) ratio. In addition, materials with low yield strength deform easily. Using the test data, a nonlinear regression model was developed to generate a predictive formula for estimating the ultimate flexural capacity of the pipe. The validation results of this formula show that the developed equation is highly accurate and outperforms existing empirical formulas. This study provides valuable insights for designing efficient and optimized OTEC piping systems, offering a fast and accurate estimation tool.

References:

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Memo

Memo:: Received date:2025-2-28;Accepted date:2025-4-24。<br>Foundation item:Funding Supported by the Ocean Research for Blue Economy research program administered by BRIN’s Research Organization for Earth Sciences and Maritime under a project entitled "Utilization of Internal Wave Phenomena for Ocean Thermal Power Plant (OTEC) Optimization: Case Study of Ambon Bay" with contract number B-33360/III.4/TK.01.01/12/2024. The authors acknowledge the support.<br>Corresponding author:Aditya Rio Prabowo ，E-mail:ristiyanto.adiputra@brin.go.id - aditya@ft.uns.ac.id

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