Abstract
The static metal sealing mechanism is essential for the structural design of subsea pipeline mechanical connector. By analyzing the sealing mechanism and contact pressure on sealing face, the critical condition of the seal is obtained. Based on the superposition theorem of elasticity, the formula of critical mean contact pressure ensuring seal is deduced. The finite element analysis result of critical mean contact pressure agrees with the analysis result very well and the critical mean contact pressure decreases with the increase in pipeline wall thickness and sealing width; however, the radius of pipeline has less influence on it. The critical mean contact pressure of 8-in subsea pipeline mechanical connector is 223.34 MPa and subsea pipeline mechanical connector is designed with ANSYS. The internal pressure experiments indicate that the sealing performance of final designed subsea pipeline mechanical connectors is higher than the design pressure of 4.5 MPa and all the initial designed ones cannot seal up to 4.5 MPa. By observing the sealing indentation on pipeline surface, when the mean contact pressure is higher than the critical mean contact pressure and the contact pressure variance is smaller, a full contact is seen to form a seal. Finally, the vibration experiments prove that the number of vibration is more than 107 and final designed subsea pipeline mechanical connector meets the experiment specification.
Highlights
Because of the rapid growth of offshore oil and gas exploitation, more and more pipelines are applied to deep seabed to transport oil and gas,[1] and the operation will increase in pipeline laying, merger, and maintenance.[2]
Based on the superposition theorem of elasticity, the formula of the critical mean contact pressure is deduced, which can be used to calculate the minimum contact pressure of static metal seal
The results indicate that the sealing performance of the initial designed subsea pipeline mechanical connector (SPMC) is less than the design pressure of 4.5 MPa and that of the final designed ones is more than the design pressure
Summary
Because of the rapid growth of offshore oil and gas exploitation, more and more pipelines are applied to deep seabed to transport oil and gas,[1] and the operation will increase in pipeline laying, merger, and maintenance.[2]. C = pi krI1(kr) K0(kr) 1⁄2 e1 e2 H2(krout) H3(krout) 1⁄2 e1 o e3 T + krK1(kr) Equation (31) shows the relation between radial displacement on pipeline surface and contact pressure on sealing surface
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