Fracture Propagation and Arrest in High-Pressure Gas Transmission Pipeline by Ultra High Strength Line Pipes

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Makino ◽  
Izumi Takeuchi ◽  
Ryouta Higuchi
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Crack Velocity ◽  
Shear Fracture ◽  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Initial Crack ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Velocity Curve ◽  
Gas Pipelines ◽  
Energy Prediction

The fracture arrest of high pressure gas pipelines is one of the keen subjects for application of high strength line pipes. To examine the arrestability of high strength line pipes against crack propagation, several full scale fracture propagation tests have been conducted. The fracture propagation tests of X100 or X120 under high pressure revealed that the existing models of arrest energy prediction failed to predict the arrest energies. By careful investigations of the test results, it is found that the failure in prediction is mainly due to the uncertainty of crack velocity curve prediction. On the other hand, accuracy of predicted gas decompression curve is relatively high even in the case of high pressure condition. Experimentally, the arrest energies have been determined by full-scale fracture propagation tests with increasing toughness arrangement. Different from actual pipeline, extremely low toughness pipe has been employed in crack initiation pipe with intention of getting steady state propagation. However, arrestability of pipe might be underestimated in the increasing toughness arrangement test as the initial crack velocity increases. Together with recalibrated crack velocity curve, Sumitomo model (HLP method with Sumitomo’s crack velocity curve) predicts that even toughness arrangement, which is the case of real pipelines, could arrest the propagating shear fracture in high pressure gas pipelines by X100.

Notch Ductilities of Rich Natural Gas Transmission Line Pipes for Arresting Propagating Shear Fracture

1987 ◽  
Vol 109 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Sugie ◽  
M. Matsuoka ◽  
T. Akiyama ◽  
K. Tanaka ◽  
Y. Kawaguchi
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Crack Velocity ◽  
Shear Fracture ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Velocity Curve ◽  
Research Committee ◽  
Velocity Change ◽  
Charpy Test ◽  
Line Pipe ◽  
Propagating Shear

High Strength Line Pipe Research Committee organized by The Iron and Steel Institute of Japan carried out two full-scale burst tests on X70 line pipes, 48 in. o.d. × 0.720 in. w.t., with rich natural gas as the pressurizing gas. A theoretical investigation which gives the crack velocity change in terms of the crack velocity curve and the gas decompression velocity curve is presented, and the theoretical predictions and the experimental results are in good agreement. The developed method can predict the required notch ductilities obtained from Charpy test and DWTT in order to arrest a propagating shear fracture according to the type of gas, design stress and acceptable fracture length in the pipeline.

Applicability of Existing Models for Predicting Ductile Fracture Arrest in High Pressure Pipelines

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Wolodko ◽  
Mark Stephens
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Ductile Fracture ◽  
High Pressures ◽  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
High Strength Steels ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Fracture Arrest ◽  
Arrest Toughness

The ductile fracture arrest capability of gas pipelines is seen as one of the most important factors in the future acceptance of new high strength pipeline steels for high pressure applications. It has been acknowledged for some time that the current methods for characterizing and predicting the arrest toughness for ductile fracture propagation in high strength steels are un-conservative. This observation is based on the inability of existing models to predict the required arrest toughness in full-scale ductile fracture propagation tests. While considerable effort is currently being applied to develop more accurate methods for predicting ductile facture arrest, the resulting models are still in a preliminary stage of development and are not immediately amenable for use by the general engineering community. As an interim solution, a number of authors have advocated the empirical adjustment or reformulation of the existing models for use with the newer, high strength pipe grades. While this approach does not address the fundamental issues surrounding the fracture arrest problem, it does provide methods that can be used in the near term for analysis and preliminary design. The desire to use these existing methods, however, is tempered by the uncertainty associated with their applicability in situations involving high pressures and/or high toughness materials. In an attempt to address some of these concerns, a statistical analysis was conducted to assess the accuracy of a number of available fracture arrest models by comparing predictions to actual values determined from full-scale fracture propagation experiments. From the results, correction factors were developed for determining the required toughness levels in high pressure applications that account for the uncertainty in the theoretical prediction methods.

scholarly journals Full-Scale Fracture Propagation Experiments: A Recent Application and Future Use for the Pipeline Industry

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Michael Johnson ◽  
Peter S. Cumber ◽  
Norval Horner ◽  
Lorne Carlson ◽  
Robert Eiber
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
High Strength Steels ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Operating Pressure ◽  
Experimental Facility ◽  
The Usa

A full scale fracture propagation test facility has been developed to validate the design, in terms of the ability of the material to avert a propagating fracture, of a major new pipeline to transport gas 1800 miles from British Columbia in Canada to Chicago in the USA. The pipeline, being built by Alliance Pipeline Ltd, will transport rich natural gas, i.e. gas with a higher than normal proportion of heavier hydrocarbons, at a maximum operating pressure of 12,000 kPa. This gas mixture and pressure combination imposes a more severe requirement on the pipe steel toughness than the traditional operating conditions of North American pipelines. As these conditions were outside the validated range of models, two full-scale experiments were conducted to prove the design. This paper will provide details of the construction of the 367m long experimental facility at the BG Technology Spadeadam test site along with the key data obtained from the experiments. Evaluation of this data showed that the test program had validated Alliance’s fracture control design. The decompression data obtained in the experiments will be compared against predictions from a new decompression model developed by BG Technology. The use of the experimental facility and the model to support future developments in the pipeline industry, particularly in relation to the use of high strength steels, will also be discussed.

Fracture propagation control in very high strength gas pipelines

2000 ◽  
Vol 97 (11) ◽  
pp. 1409-1416 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Buzzichelli ◽  
L. Scopesi
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Gas Pipelines ◽  
Very High

The Design and Application of Shear Fracture Propagation Studies

1974 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. Poynton ◽  
R. W. E. Shannon ◽  
G. D. Fearnehough
Keyword(s):  
Thermodynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Constant Velocity ◽  
Shear Fracture ◽  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Full Scale Test ◽  
Test Behavior ◽  
Scale Test ◽  
Full Scale Tests ◽  
Fracture Arrest

Shear fracture propagation is studied using an analysis based upon the thermodynamic equilibrium of a constant velocity fracture. This equation is shown to describe the behavior of all full scale tests which exhibit constant velocity propagation. This equation is developed to identify the conditions for fracture arrest; the resulting formulation is again consistent with full scale test behavior. The paper also discusses the application of the theory to existing and new pipelines.

Towards a Numerical Design Tool for Composite Crack Arrestors on High Pressure Gas Pipelines

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Van den Abeele ◽  
L. Amlung ◽  
M. Di Biagio ◽  
S. Zimmermann
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Steel Wire ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Tensile Tests ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Pipe Material ◽  
Gas Pipelines ◽  
Numerical Design

One of the major challenges in the design of ultra high grade (X100) high pressure gas pipelines is the identification of a reliable crack propagation strategy. Ductile fracture propagation is an event that involves the whole pipeline and all its components, including valves, fittings, flanges and bends. Recent research results have shown that the newly developed high strength large diameter gas pipelines, when operated at severe conditions (rich gas, low temperatures, high pressure), may not be able to arrest a running ductile crack through pipe material properties. Hence, the use of crack arrestors is required in the design of safe and reliable pipeline systems. A conventional crack arrestor can be a high toughness pipe insert, or a local joint with higher wall thickness. Steel wire wrappings, cast iron clamps or steel sleeves are commonly used non-integral solutions. Recently, composite crack arrestors have enjoyed increasing interest from the industry as a straightforward solution to stop running ductile cracks. A composite crack arrestor is made of (glass) fibres, dipped in a resin bath and wound onto the pipe wall in a variety of orientations. In this paper, the numerical design of composite crack arrestors will be presented. First, the properties of unidirectional glass fibre reinforced epoxy are measured and the micromechanic modelling of composite materials is addressed. Then, the in-use behaviour of pipe joints with composite crack arrestors is covered. Large-scale tensile tests and four point bending tests are performed and compared with finite element simulations. Subsequently, failure measures are introduced to predict the onset of composite material failure. At the end, the ability of composite crack arrestors to arrest a running fracture in a high pressure gas pipeline is assessed.

scholarly journals The Full Scale Burst Test of Large Diameter, High Pressure Gas Pipelines

1983 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 453-459
Author(s):  
Tatsuichi OBINATA ◽  
Fusao KOSHIGA ◽  
Noboru MATSUO ◽  
Kunio NISHIOKA ◽  
Kazuo IKEDA
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Gas Pipelines ◽  
Burst Test

Fracture Propagation in Underwater Gas Pipelines

1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. Maxey
Keyword(s):  
Ductile Fracture ◽  
Pipe Wall ◽  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Gas Pipelines ◽  
Buried Pipelines ◽  
Nitrogen Gas ◽  
Line Pipe ◽  
Fracture Velocity

Two full-scale ductile fracture propagation experiments on segments of line pipe pressurized with nitrogen gas have been conducted underwater at a depth of 40 ft (12 m) to evaluate the ductile fracture phenomenon in underwater pipelines. The pipes were 22-in. (559-mm) diameter and 42-in. (1067-mm) diameter. Fracture velocities were measured and arrest conditions were observed. The overpressure in the water surrounding the pipe resulting from the release of the compressed nitrogen gas contained in the pipe was measured in both experiments. The overpressure in the water reduces the stress in the pipe wall and thus slows down the fracture. In addition, the water surrounding the pipe appears to be more effective than soil backfill in producing a slower fracture velocity. Both of these effects suggest a greater tendency toward arrest for a pipeline underwater than would be the case for the same pipeline buried in soil onshore. Further verification of this effect is planned and a modified version of the existing model for predicting ductile fracture in buried pipelines will be developed for underwater pipelines.

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