Abstract
This paper examines the effects of aging on the flexural stiffness and bending loading capacity of a perforated glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composite subjected to combined moisture and elevated temperature. Specimens, in the configuration of one-quarter of a perforated GFRP tube, were aged in 60% humidity and temperatures of 40, 60, and 80°C, respectively. Moisture absorptions of the specimens were measured during the aging process, and bending tests were conducted on the specimens after aging. The SEM images were also captured to further examine the effects of the moisture absorption on the aged specimens. The results indicated that the increase in the aging temperature reduced the diffusion coefficient, thus inducing more moisture absorption by the composite and in turn causing more reduction in composite’s flexural stiffness and bending capacity. Moreover, the ability of Fick’s equation for predicting the moisture absorption rate in such perforated thin-walled composite configuration at various moisture contents and temperatures was also assessed. A semiempirical equation was developed and proposed by which the reduction of the stiffness in the perforated aged GFRP structures could be predicted.
Highlights
Directional wells are one of the most effective and reliable technologies used nowadays in oil and gas industry
A short-term aging experimental investigation was conducted on curved perforated glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) composite specimens, by which the effect of thermal variation on the moisture absorption kinetics and on the flexural stiffness of the GFRP specimens was investigated
Fick’s model could describe the moisture absorption rate of the perforated GFRP specimens that were aged at relatively low temperatures, while the hyperbolic tangent model produced better predictions for the specimens conditioned at higher temperatures
Summary
Directional wells are one of the most effective and reliable technologies used nowadays in oil and gas industry. Hundreds of directional wells have been installed all over the world to increase access to reservoirs and to increase the productivity and total recovery. A horizontal well can be more expensive to drill and complete for production in comparison to a vertical well. The oil industry requires assurance that a horizontal well would be the most effective and economical option for a given reservoir. Liners are conventionally made of perforated steel tubes used to stabilize the directional and vertical wells to access the target producing areas. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent in replacing the damaged and corroded steel liners in such wells. The concept of replacing steel liners with perforated composite materials such as glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) has been a novel idea that is postulated to be an effective means for replacing aged steel liners
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