Mechanical Behavior of Cross-Winding Steel-Wire–Reinforced Thermoplastics Pipe under Internal Pressure

Abstract

Cross-winding steel-wire–reinforced thermoplastic pipes (CSWRTPs) have been widely applied in oilfield gathering environments in China because of their excellent physical properties. In this study, the failure mode, short-term burst pressure, and strain for a CSWRTP with an external diameter of 75 mm and a wall thickness of 10 mm under internal pressure are investigated through experimental measurements conducted with a burst test system and simulations completed with ANSYS software. A new three-dimensional finite-element burst failure model of CSWRTPs is proposed. Simulation results are in good agreement with the measurements. An axial ductile crack was found on the tested pipe with an uneven circumferential expansion deformation. The simulated short-term burst pressure is in a good agreement with the measured value (19.7 MPa) with an error of +8.7%. The growth of the strain is initially zero, followed by a linear growth, rapid growth, and a clifflike drop when the crack is generated. The effective plastic strain within the inner polyethylene liner is greater than that within the outer polyethylene sheath, and the effective stress within the inner steel wire is greater than that within the outer steel wire. The ultimate pressure–bearing capacity decreases linearly as the strength of the steel wire decreases. Therefore, reduction of the ultimate pressure–bearing capacity of CSWRTP results from the decrease of steel wire strength from corrosion when applied in oilfield gathering systems. This finite-element analysis method can provide a reference to optimize the structural design of CSWRTP.