Three dimensionally fiber-reinforced composite riser and methods of making the same

A method of making a riser, the riser having an intricate portion, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a mold with a cavity having a predetermined cavity size, a number of gates having predetermined gate sizes, a predetermined injection pressure and a predetermined injection temperature to achieve a riser having structural and manufacturing requirements;
• providing resin having a solid state and a liquid state;
• providing fibers;
• flowing the resin and the fibers into the cavity through the number of gates having predetermined gate sizes, at the predetermined injection pressure and at the predetermined injection temperature to cause the fibers to orient in a predetermined quantity and orientation within the mold, wherein the fibers are wrapped around the intricate portion of the riser,
• wherein a three dimensionally fiber-reinforced riser having the structural and manufacturing requirements is produced without a spine and the fibers are fully embedded within the resin and constrained only by the resin when the resin is in the solid state.

A method of making a riser, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a mold with a cavity having a predetermined cavity size, a number of gates having predetermined gate sizes, a predetermined injection pressure and a predetermined injection temperature to achieve a riser having structural and manufacturing requirements;
• providing resin having a liquid form and a solid form;
• providing fibers;
• causing the resin to be in the liquid form;
• flowing the resin and the fibers into the cavity through the number of gates having predetermined gate sizes, at the predetermined injection pressure and at the predetermined injection temperature to cause the fibers to orient in a predetermined quantity and orientation within the mold,
• causing the resin to turn into the solid form,
• wherein:
• the predetermined quantity and orientation of the fibers within the riser are constrained only by the resin, and
• a three dimensionally fiber-reinforced riser having the structural and manufacturing requirements is produced without a spine and the fibers are fully embedded within the resin to prevent fiber pullout.