Mechanical and Metallurgical Aspects of the Resistance to Ductile Fracture Propagation in the New Generation of Gas Pipelines

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Pyshmintsev ◽  
Alexey Gervasyev ◽  
Victor Carretero Olalla ◽  
Roumen Petrov ◽  
Andrey Arabey
Keyword(s):  
Ductile Fracture ◽  
Mechanical Test ◽  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
Rolling Plane ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Charpy Test ◽  
Line Pipe ◽  
Surface Separation ◽  
Fracture Arrest ◽  
New Generation

The microstructure and fracture behavior of the base metal of different X80 steel line pipe lots from several pipeline projects were analyzed. The resistance of the pipes to ductile fracture propagation was determined by the full-scale burst tests. The high intensity of fracture surface separation (secondary brittle cracks parallel to the rolling plane of the plate) appeared to be the main factor reducing the specific fracture energy of ductile crack propagation. A method for quantitative analysis of microstructure allowing estimation of the steel’s tendency to form separations is proposed. The procedure is based on the EBSD data processing and results in Cleavage Morphology Clustering (CMC) parameter evaluation which correlates with full-scale and laboratory mechanical test results. Two special laboratory mechanical test types utilizing SENT and Charpy test concepts for prediction of ductile fracture arrest/propagation in a pipe were developed and included into Gazprom specifications.

scholarly journals On Longitudinal Propagation of a Ductile Fracture in a Buried Gas Pipeline: Numerical and Experimental Analysis

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Berardo ◽  
P. Salvini ◽  
G. Mannucci ◽  
G. Demofonti
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Ductile Fracture ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Finite Element Code ◽  
Line Pipe ◽  
Real Phenomenon ◽  
Buried Gas Pipeline ◽  
Soil Pipe

The work deals with the development of a finite element code, named PICPRO (PIpe Crack PROpagation), for the analysis of ductile fracture propagation in buried gas pipelines. Driving force estimate is given in terms of CTOA and computed during simulations; its value is then compared with the material parameter CTOAc, inferred by small specimen tests, to evaluate the toughness of a given line pipe. Some relevant aspects are considered in the modelling with the aim to simulate the real phenomenon, namely ductile fracture mechanism, gas decompression behaviour and soil backfill constraint. The gas decompression law is calculated outside the finite element code by means of experimental data from full-scale burst tests coupled with classical shock tube solution. The validation is performed on the basis of full-scale propagation experiments, carried out on typical pipeline layouts, and includes verification of global plastic displacements and strains, CTOA values and soil-pipe interaction pressures.

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.

Separation Characteristics of an X65 Linepipe Steel From Laboratory-Scale to Full-Scale Fracture Tests

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley J. Davis ◽  
Guillaume Michal ◽  
Cheng Lu ◽  
Valerie Linton
Keyword(s):  
Rolling Plane ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Line Pipe ◽  
Fracture Surfaces ◽  
Pipe Section ◽  
Scale Test ◽  
Fracture Tests ◽  
Full Scale Tests ◽  
Fracture Arrest ◽  
Linepipe Steel

Abstract Separations are small fissures that form along the rolling-plane of some steels when sufficient stresses are created to open planes of weakness in the material. In the pipeline industry, separations have been observed on the fracture surfaces of tensile, Charpy, and drop-weight tear tests — the key tests for determining the fracture arrest capabilities of line pipe steels. When compared, the separation appearance between lab-scale tests and full-scale fracture test are noticeably dissimilar. Therefore, the influence separations have on the fracture behaviour may not clearly scale between lab-scale and full-scale tests. In this study, the separation severity of Charpy, DWTT, and full-fracture propagation test fracture surfaces was measured and compared. Two full-scale burst tests were carried out with pipes containing a CO2/N2 mixture. Fracture surfaces were observed along the length of the pipe and captured when the separation appearance changed. For each pipe section, the corresponding lab-scale test surfaces were compared. With the separations measured across all fracture faces, the separation appearance of the full-scale test surfaces did not provide the same values as the lab-scale tests. However, the lab-scale tests did capture the trend in separation severity for each pipe section. Only the lab-scale test surfaces showed a correlation in separation severity.

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.

Microstructure Engineering of Thicker Gage Niobium Microalloyed Line Pipe Steel With Enhanced Toughness by High Temperature Processing Using TiN-NbC Composite Precipitate

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. V. Subramanian ◽  
Xiaoping Ma ◽  
Chengliang Miao ◽  
Xiaobing Zhang ◽  
Laurie Collins
Keyword(s):  
Brittle Fracture ◽  
Ductile Fracture ◽  
Pipe Steel ◽  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Laboratory Simulation ◽  
Austenite Grain Size ◽  
Line Pipe ◽  
Nano Scale ◽  
Line Pipe Steel

Prediction of crack arrestability of higher grade line pipe steel microalloyed with niobium in full scale burst tests based on laboratory simulation tests including Charpy impact, DWTT and CTOD is rendered difficult, as the full scale burst test is found to be far more sensitive to microstructure variables than current laboratory tests. This paper deals with nano-scale TiN-NbC composite precipitate engineering as an alternative approach to strain-induced precipitation of NbC to produce thicker gage plate or coil with enhanced toughness and resistance to ductile fracture propagation of line pipe steel. Microstructure engineering is based on identification of key microstructural parameters to which target properties can be related, and engineer the target microstructure through design of base chemistry and optimization of processing schedules. Nano-scale precipitate engineering based on control of spacing and size of TiN-NbC composite precipitate offers a new approach to achieve excellent strength and toughness (300J at −60C) of line pipe steels through control of target microstructure consisting of: (i) refinement of austenite grain size (under 30 microns) of transfer bar before pancaking, (ii) high volume fraction of acicular ferrite with adequate plasticity to increase resistance to ductile fracture propagation, (iii) high density and uniform dispersion of high angle grain boundaries that arrest micro-cracks to suppress brittle fracture initiation, (iv) less intensity of unfavorable {100}<011> texture component that facilitate the propagation of brittle fracture, (v) suppression of ultra-fine precipitates in the matrix, thereby enlarging plastic zone ahead of the crack tip to blunt the tip of the crack, and (vi) suppression of coarse brittle constituents (carbides or MA products) that initiate brittle fracture. Experimental results are presented on thermo-mechanically rolled X-90 and K-60 that validate the concept of microstructure engineering using TiN-NbC composite precipitate engineering to enhance strength and fracture toughness.

Effect of Grade on Ductile Fracture Arrest Criteria for Gas Pipelines

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Wilkowski ◽  
D. Rudland ◽  
H. Xu ◽  
N. Sanderson
Keyword(s):  
Ductile Fracture ◽  
Correction Factor ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Statistical Analyses ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Gas Pipelines ◽  
Charpy Test ◽  
Energy Value ◽  
Fracture Arrest

Several different criteria have been proposed over the years to predict the minimum toughness for arrest of an axial propagating crack for natural gas pipelines. The initial ones were empirically based. The Battelle Two-Curve Method (TCM) was subsequently developed and was somewhat less empirical. The TCM is still used frequently today. Nevertheless, all of these criteria use the Charpy energy as a measure of the material’s ductile fracture resistance. As higher-grade steels have been developed, it has been found from full-scale tests that a multiplier was needed on the predicted minimum Charpy arrest energy value as calculated from the original TCM. Several researchers have also suggested that a correction factor was needed on the Charpy energy as the Charpy energy value increased above a certain level. This was a nonlinear correction factor that essentially showed that as the Charpy energy value surpassed a certain level, the effective energy for ductile fracture arrest is less than the total energy from the Charpy test. This paper presents background information on several of these toughness correction factors, as well as statistical analyses of full-scale pipe burst tests on 186 lengths of X60 to X100 grade pipes using these methods. The results show the effects of grade level on not only the original TCM predictions, but also several other modifications for high Charpy energy levels. Additionally, a method has also been developed where the DWTT energy was used instead of the Charpy energy in the Battelle TCM. The results of the statistical analyses showed that all the Charpy-energy-based criteria required an increasing correction factor as the grade level increased. The one DWTT energy criterion was statistically constant with grade level. This difference between the Charpy criteria and the DWTT criterion was traced back to a changing relationship between the Charpy and DWTT energy values as the grade of the steel increases.

Full-Scale Reeling Tests of HFI Welded Line Pipe for Offshore Reel-Laying Installation

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Christoph Meiwes ◽  
Susanne Höhler ◽  
Marion Erdelen-Peppler ◽  
Holger Brauer
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Testing ◽  
Mechanical Test ◽  
Strength Properties ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Bending Test ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Pipe Material ◽  
Deformation Capacity ◽  
Line Pipe ◽  
Tension And Compression

During reel-laying repeated plastic strains are introduced into a pipeline which may affect strength properties and deformation capacity of the line pipe material. Conventionally the effect on the material is simulated by small-scale reeling simulation tests. For these, coupons are extracted from pipes that are loaded in tension and compression and thermally aged, if required. Afterwards, specimens for mechanical testing are machined from these coupons and tested according to the corresponding standards. Today customers often demand additional full-scale reeling simulation tests to assure that the structural pipe behavior meets the strain demands as well. Realistic deformations have to be introduced into a full-size pipe, followed by aging, sampling and mechanical testing comparable to small-scale reeling. In this report the fitness for use of a four-point-bending test rig for full-scale reeling simulation tests is demonstrated. Two high-frequency-induction (HFI) welded pipes of grade X65M (OD = 323.9 mm, WT = 15.9 mm) from Salzgitter Mannesmann Line Pipe GmbH (MLP) are bent with alternate loading. To investigate the influences of thermal aging from polymer-coating process one test pipe had been heat treated beforehand, in the same manner as if being PE-coated. After the tests mechanical test samples were machined out of the plastically strained pipes. A comparison of results from mechanical testing of material exposed to small- and full-scale reeling simulation is given. The results allow an evaluation of the pipe behavior as regards reeling ability and plastic deformation capacity.

Effects of Soil Cohesiveness and Depth on Dynamic Ductile Fracture Speeds

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rudland ◽  
D.-J. Shim ◽  
G. M. Wilkowski ◽  
S. Kawaguchi ◽  
N. Hagiwara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ductile Fracture ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Crack Arrest ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Total Density ◽  
Pipe Material ◽  
Pipe Steels ◽  
Line Pipe ◽  
Fracture Arrest

The ductile fracture resistance of newer line pipe steels is of concern for high grade/strength steels and higher-pressure pipeline designs. Although there have been several attempts to make improved ductile fracture arrest models, the model that is still used most frequently is the Battelle Two-Curve Method (TCM). This analysis incorporates the gas-decompression behavior with the fracture toughness of the pipe material to predict the minimum Charpy energy required for crack arrest. For this analysis, the influence of the backfill is lumped into one empirically developed “soil” coefficient which is not specific to soil type, density or strength. No attempt has been made to quantify the effects of soil depth, type, total density or strength on the fracture speeds of propagating cracks in line pipe steels. In this paper, results from small-scale and large-scale burst tests with well-controlled backfill conditions are presented and analyzed to determine the effects of soil depth and cohesiveness on the fracture speeds. Combining this data with the past full-scale burst data used in generating the original backfill coefficient provides additional insight into the effects of the soil properties on the fracture speeds and the arrest of running ductile fractures in line pipe materials.

Crystallographic Texture as a Factor Enabling Ductile Fracture Arrest in High Strength Pipeline Steel

2011 ◽  
Vol 702-703 ◽  
pp. 770-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Pyshmintsev ◽  
Alexey Gervasyev ◽  
Roumen H. Petrov ◽  
Victor Carretero Olalla ◽  
Leo Kestens
Keyword(s):  
Pipeline Steel ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Rolling Plane ◽  
Steel Plates ◽  
Clear Correlation ◽  
Ductile Crack ◽  
Surface Separation ◽  
X80 Steel ◽  
Oriented Parallel ◽  
Fracture Arrest

Low ductile crack arrestability in a full-scale burst test of 1420 mm-diameter X80 steel line pipes was accompanied by a high intensity of fracture surface separation. The texture of the steel plates was studied using different techniques in order to evaluate the influence of {001} planes oriented parallel to the rolling plane on the separation intensity during fracture. Though no clear correlation between the content of {001} planes parallel to the rolling plane and intensity of separation was found, the local distribution of the {001}<110> texture component among the microstructure components was different in different steels providing long areas suitable for cleavage fracture parallel to the rolling plane in steel with low arrestability.

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