Behavior of NPS30 Pipe Subject to Denting Load

Abstract

Pipeline is the common mode for transporting oil, gas, and various petroleum products. Structural integrity of oil and gas transmission pipelines is often threatened by external interferences such as concentrated lateral loads and as a result, a failure of the pipeline may occur due to “mechanical damages”. Sometime, this load may not cause immediate rupture of pipes; rather form a dent which can reduce the pressure capacity of the pipeline. A dent is a localized defect in the pipe wall in the form of a permanent inward plastic deformation. This kind of defect is a matter of serious concern for the pipeline operator since a rupture or a leak may occur. Accordingly, an extensive experimental study is currently underway at the Centre for Engineering Research in Pipelines (CERP), University of Windsor on 30 inch (762 mm) diameter and X70 grade pipes with D/t of 90. The aim of this research is to examine the influence of various parameters such as dent shape and service pressure on strain distributions of dented pipe. Also, three-dimensional finite element models were developed and validated for determining strains underneath the indenter. The load-deformation behavior of pipes subject to this type of lateral denting load obtained from experimental study and finite element analysis is discussed in this paper. In addition, distributions of important strains in and around the dent obtained from the study are also discussed.