Effect of operation on the stressed state of the piping of compressor stations located in different regions

Abstract

Due to the increased operating time of operated compressor stations (CSs) and the current safety requirements, the engineering state of the pipelines of CSs must be surveyed to confirm the possibility of their further operation (extension of the operating life). The available factual material shows that the failure of an operated pipeline is either directly related to the effect of an unrated static or dynamic load that was the primary reason for the failure or is due to the presence of flaws that facilitate the appearance of an unrated load. The presence of an enhanced level of stresses may be a consequence of several factors, including errors in design; violation of the rules of assembly of structural elements; and operating conditions related to variation in the height positions of pipeline segments due to soil instability or subsidence and also due to buckling of supports. The latter factors are traditionally indicated as probable causes of overload for pipelines located in northern regions that are located on sandy soils and under conditions of deep freezing of soils. An evaluation of the actual level of stresses of production pipelines of compressor stations (CSs) and a comparison of the parameters of the stressed states of CSs located in different regions enables one to assess the effect of climatic factors on the operating conditions of pipelines. In this study, based on an analysis of the parameters of the stressed state obtained using magnetic methods for measuring stresses, the load level of pipelines is assessed on a scale from individual segments of a pipeline to a comprehensive assessment of plant piping.