Abstract
The design of an umbilical cable begins with the definition of the operational functions it must implement and the environmental conditions to that it will be subjected to. Those functions suggest the components that it must have, usually chosen from a pre-defined set. Also, structural elements must be added, based on project and manufacture requirements, so the cable can withstand the environmental conditions of use. All the components must be geometrically arranged and the cross section of the cable must be defined, usually with the help of CAD software. But the structural behavior of the designed cable must be analyzed under several environmental conditions, using numerical and analytical tools. If this behavior does not fulfill the desired structural requirements, the cable must be redesigned: structural and functional components must be changed and the cross section of the umbilical must be rearranged in an iterative process. This article presents an environment that integrates a CAD tool dedicated to the design of the cross section of an umbilical cable with structural analysis tools, both analytical (Utilflex) and numerical (UFLEX2D). The CAD tool architecture is based on a component-instance model that enables both drawing and reusing of components. It also can export the designed cross-section to AutoCAD using AutoLISP language. Finally, it automates the generation of the data-sheet of the designed umbilical both in AutoLISP and Microsoft Word, including the basic structural properties calculated by means of analytical formulae.
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