Maximum Operating Pressure Research Articles

Design of experimental facility for helium gas component testing

The current state-of-the-art helium gas test loops for component testing are constrained by the maximum operating temperatures, pressures, and flow rates of such facilities. Idaho National Laboratory is designing a new experimental facility known as HECTOR (HElium Component Testing Out-of-pile Research), which is a helium gas test loop for evaluating the performance of components to helium gas pressures, temperatures, and flow rates up to 8 MPa, 800 °C, and 0.15 kg/s, respectively. The construction of this facility will enable researchers to perform experiments across a wide range of Reynolds and Nusselt numbers, which could result in the maturation of technology for high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) components.

Effects of cushion gas pressure and operating parameters on the capacity of hydrogen storage in lined rock caverns (LRC)

Hydrogen storage in lined rock cavern (LRC) provides versatile site selection, safety, and stability, making it a crucial option. In this study, a thermodynamic mathematical model was established to describe hydrogen storage in LRC. This model is based on the principles of mass, momentum, and energy conservation while accounting for the authentic compressibility of hydrogen. The thermodynamic fluctuations throughout the seasonal cycle in LRC were computed using the COMSOL Multiphysics software. The results indicate that when the hydrogen storage reaches the operating pressure, the lower the cushion gas pressure, the greater the hydrogen injection amount, and the higher the utilization rate of storage capacity. With a cushion gas pressure of 3 MPa, the storage capacity utilization rate exceeds that at 15 MPa by 41 %. The injection rate of 0.5 kg/s results in a temperature increase of 12 °C compared to 0.27 kg/s, indicating twice the temperature rise at the 0.27 kg/s injection rate. An increase in injection temperature corresponds to higher temperature within the hydrogen storage cavern upon completion of gas injection, thereby reducing the time needed for gas injection to reach maximum operating pressure. A lower initial cavern temperature results in a longer time for hydrogen storage to reach maximum operating pressure.

Airtightness evaluation of lined caverns for compressed air energy storage under thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupling

Large-scale compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology can effectively facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid. The airtightness of caverns is crucial for the economic viability and efficiency of CAES systems. This paper presents a new thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) model for investigating the effects of complex thermodynamic changes on air leakage in concrete-lined rock caverns. The model is validated using field measurement data, numerical simulations, and analytical solutions. Subsequent simulations were conducted to analyze air leakage, pore pressure, and leakage range under various operating conditions. Finally, the impacts of different parameters on air tightness were assessed. The results indicate that the daily air leakage mass percentage (TDALMP) in the concrete-lined CAES cavern is 0.60 % under the operating pressure of 4.5–10 MPa, which meets the tightness requirement. The permeability of the lining is a key parameter for airtightness, in this case, the permeability of the concrete lining cannot exceed 1 × 10−19 m2. The daily air leakage rate can be reduced by modestly increasing the cavern radius, lowering the temperature of the injected air, and decreasing the maximum operating pressure. These results can provide a reference for the study and construction of CAES caverns in similar projects.

A Reliability Assessment Method for Natural Gas Pipelines with Corroded Defects That Considers Detection Cycles

With the development of natural gas pipelines, the proportion of aged pipelines in service has been increasing, and corrosion remains a primary cause of pipeline failure. Regular inspections and reliability assessments are crucial to ensure the safe operation of pipelines. This study investigated an efficient reliability assessment method for corroded pipelines that considers in-line inspection intervals. First, this study compared the commonly used limit state equations for corrosion defects to select one suitable for X80-grade steel pipelines. Additionally, a Tail-Fit Monte Carlo Simulation (TF-MCS) algorithm was proposed to improve the computational speed by 30 times compared to traditional Monte Carlo simulations. Then, this study explored the inspection intervals used for reliability assessments of corroded pipelines. Finally, the parameter sensitivity was analyzed considering the yield strength, maximum operating pressure, and pipe diameter. This study ensures the reliable operation of corroded gas pipelines.

Numerical analysis for failure estimation of compositely rehabilitated corroded pipes under operational and ultimate states

The current study investigates numerically the rehabilitation of corroded steel pipes using specified CFRP properties to optimize the reduction in burst capacity under distinct corrosion parameters. Two literature testing were examined numerically to validate the generated FEM model. Two sensitivity analyses encountering 144 FEMs were carried out to explore the rehabilitation of corrosion parameters such as width, depth, and length. The results generated equations to predict the hoop stresses for specified burst pressure. Additionally, the study explores the serviceability state at specified minimum yield strength “SMYS” and the maximum allowable operating pressure “MAOP” proposed by “ASME/ANSI” code under two cases; narrow and wide defects. The results show that stresses concentrate near the edges and accumulate in the middle of the narrow and wide defective areas. Thus, the stiffness governs by integrating the steel and CFRP modulus until the steel yields; then, the CFRP stiffness governs reaching its ultimate strain. The results show that the CFRP delays the hoop stresses and generates the ultimate strength, pronounces the most for the deep defect. The burst capacity increases by 20%, 50%, and 80% for shallow, intermediate, and deep defects, handling more strain, about 78% at intermediate defects due to the CFRP confinement which reflects on increasing the “SMYS” by about 5 to 10%. Several recommendations for failure prevention were deduced and recorded. Finally, design equations show a good agreement with the FEM in comparison to the other equations proposed by standards and guidelines, predicting the hoop stress while rehabilitating the defective area.

Research on the helium seepage mechanism in the strata surrounding bedded salt cavern helium storage and its tightness evaluation

To improve the safety and scale of helium storage, large-scale or strategic helium storage in underground salt caverns can be implemented. Salt caverns leached from bedded salt formations have been considered as potential underground storage sites for helium in China. However, the salt formations are typical lacustrine sedimentary rocks with an interbedded structure, thus the sealing feasibility of such salt caverns must be evaluated before they can be used. To this end, the helium seepage equation in deep strata and permeability evolution function are derived with the help of experimental results and theoretical analysis. Based on these, a helium seepage model considering slippage effect and threshold pressure gradient is proposed to evaluate the sealing properties of salt caverns for helium storage. The analysis results indicate that it is feasible to use bedded salt mine formations for helium storage when the formations permeability parameters and reservoir design parameters meet the long-term tightness evaluation criteria, including permeability, porosity, salt pillar width, salt roof thickness and operating pressure and duration. More importantly, specific recommendations are provided for the operation parameters, design parameters and formation permeability thresholds of salt caverns for ensuring helium storage safety while maintaining stable cavern operations. The threshold permeability of the target salt formations should be approximately 1 × 10−18 m2 to ensure tightness. The minimum and maximum operating pressure are recommended to be 10 MPa and 18 MPa respectively for 50 years of this helium storage. The salt pillar width should be 300 m, and the salt roof thickness should be 40 m.

Development of a diafiltration-nanofiltration-reverse osmosis (DiaNF-RO) process for ion fractionation towards resource recovery in seawater desalination

A diafiltration-nanofiltration-reverse osmosis (DiaNF-RO) process is introduced to achieve solutes fractionation of divalent/monovalent ions, i.e., Mg/Na, to enable resource recovery in seawater desalination and brine management. The diafiltration process is applied at the NF stage (i.e., DiaNF) to enhance the Mg/Na fractionation performance of NF (i.e., SF1Mg-Na), while the RO is incorporated to produce desalinated water as well as diluent required by the DiaNF. By initiating the ion fractionation at the pre-treatment rather than post-treatment (i.e., RO-NF), the DiaNF-RO mitigates challenges of high concentration in RO brine management, which includes limitation of maximum allowable operating pressure and high energy requirement. The semi-empirical model, with at least 77.4 % accuracy, is first applied to simulate the performance of DiaNF-RO at different operating conditions and configurations (i.e., multi-stage and recycling). The sensitivity analysis then suggests that dilution should only occur in the last NF stage and without any retentate recycling, while NF pressure and element number should be optimized. Using NF membrane with SFMg-Na of 1.28 at 10 bar and feed seawater of 35 g/L TDS, the optimal 4-stage DiaNF-RO design achieves maximum SF1Mg-Na of 12.19 at 5.72 kWh/m3, or a minimum energy consumption of 5.41 kWh/m3 at SF1Mg-Na of 7.04.

Estimating the line packing time for pipelines transporting carbon dioxide

During the operation of pressurised pipelines transporting compressible fluids, line packing is employed as an effective method that uses the pipeline itself as a buffer storage, compensating for fluctuations in the fluid supply or demand. While in large-capacity natural gas transmission systems, reaching maximum operating pressures during line packing is usually not of practical concern, in small capacity pipelines transporting low-compressibility fluids, such as liquid or dense-phase CO2, line packing can occur quickly, and therefore, estimating the line packing times becomes important to ensure avoiding exceeding the pipeline maximum allowable operating pressure. In this study, a correlation for estimating the line packing time is derived from the transient mass balance in the pipeline. The proposed correlation accounts for the pipeline overall dimensions, operating pressure and temperature, and the fluid properties, namely density and the expansion coefficient. The correlation is also adopted for the calculation of pipeline unpacking times caused by unbalanced discharge from a pipeline. A verification study on line packing in a dense-phase CO2 pipeline shows that within the ranges tested, the proposed correlation estimates conservatively the line packing times with ca. 15 % deviation from the results of simulations obtained using a rigorous transient pipeline flow model. The proposed correlation is also verified against predictions obtained using a parabolic flow model and is recommended for estimating line packing times for both dense-phase and gas-phase CO2 at pressures and temperatures in the ranges 2 - 12 MPa and 280 – 330 K, respectively. The limitations of the proposed line packing time correlation are discussed.

An innovative S–CO2 recompression Brayton system and its thermodynamic, exergoeconomic and multi-objective analyses for a nuclear spacecraft

An innovative layout of a recompression supercritical carbon dioxide (S–CO2) cycle for nuclear spacecraft was proposed in this work. Thermodynamic and exergoeconomic analysis of the innovative cycle have been performed to study the effect of essential operating parameters on the split ratio, maximum operating pressure ratio, minimum operating temperature, maximum operating temperature, and compressor C4 inlet pressure based on the first and second laws of exergoeconomics and efficiency. Finally, the innovative power cycle is optimized with high efficiencies, low cost and lightweight. The results show that the optimization progress is based on the thermodynamic and exergoeconomics method; the minimum operating temperature can significantly improve efficiencies and reduce circular investment cost; then after the multi-objective optimization progress, the thermal efficiency (ηth), exergy efficiency (ηex) and mass of Brayton turbomachinery unit (MBTU) improved by 2.71 %, 3.69 %, and 2.8 %; total capital cost rate (total) and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) reduced by 0.88 % and 4.55 %, respectively.

Designs of ultra-HPHT Electrical Component Packages for Downhole and Geothermal Wellbore Logging Tool Integrations

Conventional dielectric sealing materials (PEEK, glass and glass-ceramic) used for sealing electrical feedthroughs, connectors, interconnectors and bulkheads in electronic packages can provide reliable downhole wellbore long-term logging tool service up to 150C or short-term logging service for greater than/equal 200C, due primarily to low glass transition temperature of the used sealing materials. This paper will demonstrate that the maximum allowable operating pressure and temperature could be from 20KSI to 100KSI and from 200C to 400C with Borosilicate and Bismuth-Boron-Silica (XTS) sealing glasses. Borosilicate glass sealed Inconel-Kovar/Kovar electronic housing could maintain reliability up to the maximum pressures of ~35KSI at 200C or 25KSI at 400C. Similarly, a Bismuth-Boron-Silica XTS glass sealed stainless steel electronic package housing could have a maximum operating pressure of ~100KSI at 150C or ~50KSI at 300C temperature. It has been found that high glass transition temperatures of (440-560)C for Borosilicate glass and (44010)C for Bismuth-Boron-Silicate (XTS) glass are key for making highly reliable ultra-HPHT electronic component packages. It is shown that the tetrahedral diamond-like microstructures of these sealing glasses are keys to ensure water-repelling properties to maintain sufficient electrical insulation resistance regardless of their use in water or moisture-rich wellbores. Moreover, compressive pin stress is found to be additional key for mitigate frequently observed glass seal cracks during logging tool field services.

A self-powered sensor for detecting slip state and pressure of underwater actuators based on triboelectric nanogenerator

In challenging underwater environments, mechanical actuators must conquer diverse hurdles and guarantee meticulous and steadfast command while engaging with delicate and pliant targets. To address these issues, a novel pressure and slip state monitoring sensor (PS-TENG) based on the triboelectric nanogenerator principle was proposed to establish a haptic sensing system for underwater actuators. This sensor can detect pressure at the actuator during gripping and the relative slipping speed between the actuator and the target, allowing for precise control based on feedback signals from the perception system. In this study, we established a theoretical framework connecting pressure and electrical signals, explored material preparation methods and manufacturing steps, conducted performance optimization experiments after producing the prototype. Furthermore, we presented a signal processing technique for the sensor's output. Results demonstrated that the sensor can generate an open-circuit voltage signal of up to 45 V at a maximum operating pressure of 13 N. Moreover, within the operating pressure range, the sensor exhibited high sensitivity, reaching up to 4.5 V/N. By analyzing and processing the sensor signals, the actuator can obtain both pressure and relative slipping speed information simultaneously, essential for addressing complex underwater grasping tasks. Our research indicates that the PS-TENG sensor can serve as a reliable and efficient solution for establishing haptic sensing systems in underwater applications. With its excellent performance, this sensor holds broad potential for use in underwater robotics and electronic devices, thereby facilitating the advent of more versatile and dependable equipment in the days to come.

The failure law of the cement plug-casing interface for direct plugging in the casing of old wells for salt cavern gas storage

The old salt hole wells cannot be directly converted into gas storage, injection and production wells, so the old wells must be plugged to ensure the effectiveness of plugging. Aiming at the plugging problem of old wells in salt cavern gas storage, a finite element model of the formation-cement sheath-casing-cement plug assembly suitable for direct plugging in the casing of salt cavern gas storage is established to simulate the fracture stripping process of the cement plug-casing interface. The results show that under the pressure of the gas storage, the cement plug casing bonding interface will undergo shear deformation, and after stacking to a certain extent, peeling phenomenon will occur. As the simulation time increases, the peel failure length gradually increases and tends to stabilize, reaching the limit of peel failure length. In the process of research, the factors and laws affecting the peeling failure length are also analyzed. It is found that the peeling failure length of the cement-casing interface is related to the maximum operating pressure of the gas storage, the length of the cement plug, the diameter of the cement plug, the elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio. The research results are helpful to judge whether the plugging length in the casing is sufficient, and provide theoretical guidance to ensure the long-term safe operation of the gas storage.

Forecasting pipeline safety and remaining life with machine learning methods and SHAP interaction values

In-line inspection (ILI) is a common and useful way to provide comprehensive threat assessments and to detect defect dimensions. However, the ILI is very expensive and most of its costs are unnecessary since very few pipelines contain defects. Many previous studies have used machine learning (ML) methods to predict the safety of pipelines based on the features extracted from ILI signal results, which is very laborious and difficult to apply in industry. In this paper, the ILI results were predicted using multiple ML models through three prediction cases with only pipeline attributes and environmental features as input variables. In the first case, six ML methods were compared to predict whether there are defects in a pipeline section. The Catboost (CAT) method showed the best performance in all evaluation metrics with the highest certain prediction ratio (94%). The second case was using three ML methods to predict a defect depth, defect length, and defect width. The prediction accuracy of the defect depth was much higher than that of the defect length and defect width. A CAT model was the optimal model in this case due to its best performance in all the predictions. In the third prediction case, three ML methods were used to predict a defect length growth rate and defect depth growth rate based on different ILI results from different years. CAT was also the best method in this case with the highest accuracy. The predicted defect length growth rate and defect depth growth rate were used to calculate the remaining lifetime of pipelines based on the maximum allowable defect depth and failure pressure. The remaining lifetime of pipelines with different thickness, land use, and soil types was analyzed with changes in the specified minimum yield strength of a pipeline, a pipeline year, and maximum operating pressure. The accurate predictions in the three cases and the correlation analysis between input features and outputs helped company save a lot of costs and provided valuable information and suggestions in the further progress.

Evaluation of fault stability and seismic potential for Hutubi underground gas storage due to seasonal injection and extraction

The Hutubi gas field was put into production in 1998 and then converted into an underground gas storage (UGS) facility in 2013, and since then a cluster of earthquakes associated with seasonal injection and extraction activities have been recorded nearby. To evaluate the fault stability and seismic potential, we established a pseudo-3D geomechanical model to simulate the process of seasonal injection and extraction. Reservoir pore pressures from 1998 to 2019 were obtained through multiphase reservoir simulation and validated by history matching the field injection and production data. We then imported pore pressures into the geomechanical model to simulate the poroelastic perturbation on faults for over 20 years. The fidelity of this model was validated by comparing the simulated surface deformation with global positioning system (GPS) measured data. We used Coulomb failure stress (CFS) as the indicator for the likelihood of fault slippage. The simulation results show that the location of the induced earthquake cluster was within the positive Coulomb stress perturbation (ΔCFS) area, in which fault slippage was promoted. In addition, ΔCFS at the earthquake location kept increasing after the injection began. These findings could explain the induced earthquakes with the Coulomb failure stress theory. Furthermore, we conducted a parameter sensitivity study on the dominant factors such as the maximum operating pressure (MOP), frictional coefficient, and dip angle of the pre-existing fault. The results indicate that the magnitude of ΔCFS caused by seasonal injection and extraction decreases with distance; MOPs are constrained to 32.9, 36.2, and 39.5 MPa according to different ΔCFS thresholds; the critical dip angle ranges are 0–20° and 80°–100°; and strengthening the fault friction can either increase or decrease the seismic potential. This study can help determine the MOP for Hutubi underground gas storage (HTB UGS) and provide a framework for simulating the potential causes of induced seismicity for other sites.

Conceptual process design and process optimization of triple-column pressure-swing distillation for the separation of ternary mixtures embedding two azeotropes with different feed composition via thermodynamic insights and genetic algorithm

In this article, we take the tetrahydrofuran (THF)/ethanol (ETOH)/methanol (MeOH) as an example to investigate the process design of the triple-column pressure-swing distillation (TCPSD) for the separation of Serafimov’s class 2.0-2b mixtures with different feed composition. Two basic topology structures (TSI, TSII) and two separation sequences (SSI, SSII) are investigated, then, process optimization with total annual cost (TAC) as objective function is conducted via genetic algorithms. Heat integration (HI) is also applied to TCPSD. From a new perspective, the separation of THF/ETOH/MeOH can be regarded as the azeotropic distillation for THF/ETOH with MeOH as azeotropic agents based on thermodynamic features of Serafimov’s class 2.0-2b mixtures. The feasible topology structure and separation sequence of TCPSD for Serafimov’s class 2.0-2b mixtures depend on the feed composition and operating pressure. The feed composition is divided into three regions according to the concentration of methanol in azeotropic distillation column. The two critical points are azeotropic points at allowed minimum and maximum operating pressure. Especially, when feed composition is below azeotropic point at allowed minimum operating pressure, TSI is not feasible due to less MeOH as azeotropic agents. Furthermore, TCPSD combining pure azeotropic agents (ATPSD) can be developed based on this new insight. Then, two feed compositions are used to illustrate the detailed conceptual design of three topology structures as well as corresponding two separation sequences and their economic performance. The results show that when feed composition is 0.4ETOH/0.25THF/0.35MeOH, TSI and TSII are feasible, the best economical configurations without and with heat integration is TSII-SSII and TSII-SSII-HI. When feed composition is 0.4ETOH/0.4THF/0.2MeOH, TSII and ATPSD are feasible, the best economical configurations without and with heat integration is ATPSD-SSI and ATPSD-SSI-HI. Furthermore, ATPSD-SSI and ATPSD-SSI-HI have 18.28% and 19.38% TAC reduction than TSII-SSI and TSII-SSI-HI, respectively. In summary, feasible and the best economic topology structure and separation sequence of TCPSD for Serafimov’s class 2.0-2b mixtures depend on the feed composition and operating pressure. In addition, the proposed ATPSD shows good economic performance for Serafimov’s class 2.0-2b mixtures.

Use of existing gas infrastructure in European hydrogen economy

The rapidly increasing production volume of clean hydrogen creates challenges for transport infrastructure. This study improves understanding of hydrogen transport options in Europe and provides more detailed analysis on the prospects for hydrogen transport in Finland. Previous studies and ongoing pipeline projects were reviewed to identify potential and barriers to hydrogen transport. A fatigue life assessment tool was built because material challenges have been one of the main concerns of hydrogen transportation. Many European countries aim at utilizing existing gas infrastructure for hydrogen. Conducted studies and pilot facilities have provided promising results. Hydrogen reduces the fatigue life of the pipeline, but existing pipelines can be used for hydrogen if pressure variation is maintained at a reasonable level and the maximum operation pressure is limited. Moreover, the use of existing pipelines can reduce hydrogen transport costs, but the suitability of every pipeline for hydrogen must be analyzed, and several issues such as leakage, leakage detection, effects of hydrogen on pipeline assets and end users, corrosion, maintenance, and metering of gas flow must be considered. The development of hydrogen transport will vary within countries depending on the structure of the existing gas infrastructure, and on the future hydrogen use profile.

Operation features of a forevacuum pulsed plasma-cathode broad-beam electron source with a double-mesh emission electrode

We report our experimental results on the operating features of a forevacuum-pressure pulsed broad-beam plasma-cathode electron source with a double-mesh emission electrode, which includes main and auxiliary meshes. In this source, the emission plasma is generated by a pulsed cathodic arc. It is shown that such an emission system provides an increase in the maximum operating pressure for pulse durations of up to several milliseconds. We find that at certain threshold pressure transient mode and quasi-stationary mode of electron beam generation appear. The transient mode observed at the beginning of the emission current pulse is characterized by a higher emission efficiency, which changes during the time. The time, after which the quasi-stationary mode occurs, depends on the gas pressure and the parameters of the auxiliary mesh.

Thermodynamic Performance Comparisons of Ideal Brayton Cycles Integrated with High Temperature Fuel Cells as Power Sources on Aircraft

Developing hybrid electric aircraft is propitious to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption. Combustion engines coupled with solid oxide fuel cells are proposed for aircraft propulsion systems, where the compressor is powered by fuel cells instead of turbines. The thermal cycle of the new engine is obviously different from that of conventional combustion engines and can be characterized in the temperature entropy diagram under some reasonable assumptions, which were analyzed and investigated. Performance parameters, such as the specific thrust, are derived and can be expressed by several fundamental thermal parameters. Three different cycles integrating Brayton cycles and SOFC are shown. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The maximum operating pressure ratio of the Brayton cycles integrated with fuel cells is 32. The maximum thermal efficiency of the cycle at the lowest combustion temperature is 82.2%, while that of the BC is 65.1% at the high combustion temperature. (2) The new cycles can not work if the combustion temperature is lower than 1350 K. Otherwise, the fuel utilization will be too huge.

Study on simulation of cement plug—formation interface stripping failure and main influencing factors

Among the existing gas storage facilities, salt cavern gas storage has the advantages of high injection production efficiency, low gas cushion volume, safety, flexibility, etc. It is of great significance to speed up the construction of underground gas storage by transforming abandoned salt caverns of salt industry into underground gas storage. However, old salt cavern wells cannot be directly converted into gas storage injection and production wells, so the old wellbore must be plugged to ensure the effectiveness of plugging. Therefore, a set of plugging optimization technology for salt cavern gas storage wells is urgently needed. In this paper, a 3D finite element model of the cement plug-formation system based on cohesive element method is established for the milling and plugging of the old well in the salt cavern gas storage section. The results show that under the condition of constant gas storage pressure, a certain degree of small deformation will occur at the bottom of the cement plug after compression, resulting in the shear direction deformation of the cement plug formation cementation interface, and peeling will occur after accumulation to a certain extent. With the increase of simulation time, the length of stripping section gradually increases and tends to be stable, and reaches the limit of stripping failure length. In the process of research, the factors and laws affecting the stripping failure length were also analyzed. It was found that the stripping failure length of cement plug formation cementation interface was related to the maximum operating pressure of gas storage, cement plug length, cement plug diameter, elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio and other factors. The research results are helpful to judge whether the milling and plugging length of the old well section is sufficient, and provide theoretical guidance for ensuring the long-term safe operation of the gas storage.

Tube Joining by a Sheet Flange Connection

Joining of tubes to tubes by means of plastic deformation at ambient temperature allows one to solve the main limitations produced by the necessity of joining thin-walled tubes of low-to-medium diameter size made from materials that are not suitable to be welded and/or have reduced contact interfaces. The new joining solution allows one to obtain permanent mechanical joints of tubes or pipes by means of an accessory lightweight sheet metal flange subjected to annular indentation and subsequent injection of its material towards the tube walls to produce a mechanical interlock between the different elements. The sheet-flange connection can then be utilized to affix the joined tube assembly to walls or other different structures and equipment, by means of fasteners or other joining accessories attached to the sheet flange. Similar or dissimilar material combinations can be easily and safely produced while guaranteeing levels of leak-tightness within the maximum internal operating pressure of the individual tubes. A combined numerical–experimental approach is employed to identify the operative parameters as well as to explain the deformation conditions. Pull-out loads and internal fluid pressure are applied to the manufactured joint to evaluate its behavior under typical operating conditions that it may be subjected to during its service life depending on the application.