Behavior of transporting pipeline sections without and with hydrogen exposure based on full-scale tests

Pipeline transport of hydrogen is one of today’s economic and environmental challenges.In order to find safe and reliable application of both existing gas and build new pipelines,it is essential to carry out tests on full-scale pipeline section,including the potentially more dangerous places than the main pipe,the girth welds.For the investigations,pipeline sections of P355NH steel with girth welds were prepared and exposed to pure hydrogen at twice the maximum allowable operating pressure for 41 days.Subsequently,full-scale burst tests were carried out and specimens were cut and prepared from the typical locations of the failed pipeline sections for mechanical,and macro-and microstructural investigations.The results obtained were evaluated and compared with data from previous full-scale tests on pipeline sections without hydrogen exposure.The results showed differences in the behavior of pipeline sections loaded in different ways,with different characteristics of the materials and the welded joints,both in the cases without hydrogen exposure and in the cases exposed to hydrogen.

The Study of Electromagnetic Stress Testing Method on Oil-Gas Pipelines Based on WT

This paper proposes an effective method for early diagnosis (stress concentrating) of the oil-gas pipeline. Based on the principle of electromagnetic induction Faraday, we have designed and realized the nondestructive testing system for stress concentration area of ferromagnetic materials by means of the research of metal materials inverse magnetostrictive effect mechanism. The system changes the influence degree of the stress in ferromagnetic materials’ magnetic conductance to the corresponding voltage array by using discrete wavelet analysis method to process the data, in which not only the measuring accuracy is improved, but also the stress concentration is more directly reflected. The experiments confirm that the electromagnetic stress testing method is feasible and valid.

Model Test Based Soil Spring Model and Application in Pipeline Thermal Buckling Analysis

The buckling of submarine pipelines may occur due to the action of axial soil frictional force caused by relative movement of soil and pipeline, which is induced by the thermal and internal pressure. The likelihood of occurrence of this buckling phenomenon is largely determined by soil resistance. A series of large-scale model tests were carried out to facilitate the establishment of substantial data base for a variety of burial pipeline relationships. Based on the test data, nonlinear soil spring can be adopted to simulate the soil behavior during the pipeline movement. For uplift resistance, an ideal elasticity plasticity model is recommended in the case of H/D （depth-to-diameter ratio）〉5 and an elasticity softened model is recommended in the case of H/D≤5. The soil resistance along the pipeline axial direction can be simulated by an ideal elasticity plasticity model. The numerical analyzing results show that the capacity of pipeline against thermal buckling decreases with its initial imperfection enlargement and increases with the burial depth enhancement.

Separation occurring during the drop weight tear test of thick-walled X80 pipeline steels

A separation phenomenon occurring during the drop weight tear test of commercial thick-walled API （American Petroleum Institute） X80 strip steel was investigated in this work. Microstructural analysis showed that the band structure of bainite elongated along the rolling direction works as the initiation sites of separation. The propagation of separation can be promoted not only by the occurrence of the band structure of martensite/austenite constituent, prior austenite grain boundaries, and elongated bainite, but also by fine acicular ferrite and bainite. Wide separation formed in the former case, while the narrow one appeared in the latter case. acicular ferrite in thick-walled X80 pipeline steel in order Some methods were proposed to obtain fine and homogeneous to minimize the occurrence of separation.

Study on Model Tests and Hydrodynamic Force Models for Free Spanning Submarine Pipelines Subjected to Earthquakes

A test rig is built to model the dynamic response of submarine pipelines with an underwater shaking table in the State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, China. Model tests are carried out to consider the effects of exciting wave directions and types. Based on the experimental results, two hydrodynamic force models derived from Morisen equation and Wake model are presented respectively. By use of hydrodynamic force models suitable for free spanning submarine pipelines under earthquakes, diseretized equations of motion are obtained and finite element models are established to analyze dynamic response of free spanning submarine pipeline subjected to multi-support seismic excitations. The comparison of numerical results with experimental results shows that the improved Morison and Wake hydrodynamic force models could satisfactorily predict dynamic response on the free spanning submarine pipelines subjected to earthquakes.

Study on Evaluation Method of Failure Pressure for Pipeline with Axially Adjacent Defects

The interaction between axially adjacent defects is more significant than that between circumferentially aligned defects.However,the existing failure pressure assessment methods cannot accurately predict the failure pressure of axial adjacent defects.In the paper,the finite element model is adopted to analyze the influence of defect size,distribution mode and spacing between adjacent defects on failure pressure.A new failure pressure evaluation method is proposed by establishing the effective depth calculation model of corrosion colony with different distribution model.The burst test of X52 pipeline is carried out to verify the applicability of the method.It shows that the results of new method are consistent with the test results of pipeline with various defects and steel grades.

Oblique Y-groove cracking test of the welding cold cracking susceptibility of domestic X-70 pipeline steel

Gas Transmitting From West to East Project' is significant. It should ensure the welding quality and safety of pipeline. The task is very arduous to guarantee the quality of the project in the condition of long line, complex weather and geology features. In this paper, the welding cold cracking susceptibility of domestic X 70 pipeline steel adopted by the project, which is one of the most interesting questions of welding quality about petrol pipeline, was studied by means of oblique Y groove cracking test. The crack ratio of surface and section was tested under the conditions of different welding materials and preheat temperature .The thickness of plate steel was 14.7 mm and 10.3 mm . The results reveal that X 70 pipeline steel has good crack resistance. The research has important value for the construction of large scale pipeline engineering and the application of domestic X 70 pipeline steel.

Centrifuge model test on performance of thermosyphon cooled sandbags stabilizing warm oil pipeline buried in permafrost

The thaw settlement of pipeline foundation soils in response to the operation of the first China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline along the eastern flank of the northern Da Xing'anling Mountains in Northeast China was simulated in a physical model test(with a similitude ratio of 1/73) in a geotechnical centrifuge. Two pipes of a supported and an unsupported section were evaluated over a testing period for simulating 20 years of actual pipeline operation with seasonal cyclically changing oil and ambient temperatures. The results show that pipe settlement of the supported pipe was 45% of settlement of the unsupported pipe. Settlement for the unsupported section was approximately 35% of the thaw bulb depth below the initial pipe elevation, only 30% of that for the supported pipe due to the influence of the supports. The final thaw bulbs extended approximately 3.6 and 1.6 times of the pipe diameter below the unsupported and supported pipe bottom elevations, respectively. The sandbag supports kept frozen during the test period because of cooling effect of the thermosyphons. The maximum bending stress induced over the 20 m span length from bearing of the full cover over the pipe would be equivalent to40% specified minimum yield strength(SMYS). Potential buckling of the pipe should be considered as the ground thaws.This study also offers important data for calibration and validation of numerical simulation models.

Application of Gamma Test and Neuro-Fuzzy Models in Uncertainty Analysis for Prediction of Pipeline Scouring Depth

The process involved in the local scour below pipelines is so complex as to make it difficult to establish a general empirical model to provide accurate estimation for scour. This paper describes the use of an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and a Gamma Test (GT) to estimate the submerged pipeline scour depth. The data sets of laboratory measurements were collected from published literature and used to train the network or evolve the program. The developed networks were validated by using the observations that were not involved in training. The performance of ANFIS was found to be more effective when compared with the results of regression equations and GT Network modelling in predicting the scour depth of pipelines.

Response of single piles and pipelines in liquefaction-induced lateral spreads using controlled blasting

Two full-scale experiments using controlled blasting were conducted in the Port of Tokachi on Hokkaido Island, Japan,to assess the behavior of piles and pipelines subjected to lateral spreading.Test specimens were extensively instrumented with strain gauges to measure the distribution of moment during lateral spreading.This allowed us to compute the loading condition,as well as to conduct damage and performance assessments on the piles and pipelines.This paper presents the test results and discussions on the response of single piles and pipelines observed from the full-scale experiments.Based on the test results,it can be concluded that using controlled blasting successfully liquefied the soil,and subsequently induced lateral spreading.The movements of the single pile,as well as the transverse pipelines,were approximately the same as the free field soil movement.Observed moment distribution of the single pile indicated that global translation of the liquefied soil layer provided insignificant force to the pile.In addition,the degree of fixity at the pile tip significantly affected the moment along the pile as well as the pile head displacement.The pile with a higher degree of fixity at the pile tip had smaller pile head displacement but larger maximum moment.

Seismic fragility of flexible pipeline connections in a base isolated medical building

Flexible pipelines are often used to connect hard pipes from a foundation to a superstructure to accommodate large deformation in the base isolation layer during an earthquake. Although Chinese seismic design guidelines suggest several confi gurations, they are diff erent from the designs that have been proven in practice, e.g., Japanese styles, and extensive experimental investigation into their seismic performance is required. Three types of seals, rubber-, metal- and asbestinebased, were tested quasi-statically with infi lled pressurized water at 2.5 MPa. The asbestine-based seal leaked at a smaller deformation than the other two types of seals. Based on the test results, three damage states were defi ned and the deformation capacity was estimated. To evaluate their performance, a three-dimensional model of a base-isolated medical building was developed using OpenSees, with the fl exible pipelines simulated by a mechanical model calibrated from the experimental data. A probabilistic seismic demand model and the fragility function of the fl exible pipelines were then developed to evaluate the seismic performance.

Air-drying Models for New-built Offshore Gas Pipelines

Drying （conditioning） is an important procedure to prevent hydrate formation during gas pipeline gas-up and to protect pipelines against corrosion. The air-drying method is preferred in offshore gas pipelines pre-commissioning. The air-drying process of gas pipelines commonly includes two steps, air purging and soak test. The mass conservation and the phase equilibrium theory are applied to setting up the mathematical models of air purging, which can be used to simulate dry airflow rate and drying time. Fick diffusion law is applied to setting up the mathematical model of soak test, which can predict the water vapor concentration distribution. The results calculated from the purging model and the soak test model are in good agreement with the experimental data in the DF 1-1 offshore production pipeline conditioning. The models are verified to be available for the air-drying project design of offshore gas pipelines. Some proposals for airdrying engineering and operational procedures are put forward by analyzing the air-drying process of DFI-1 gasexporting pipelines.

Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Submarine Composite Pipeline in a Wave-Current Coexisting Field

-A composite pipeline is defined as a pipeline system composed of one big pipe and one or several small pipes. Based on the theory of wave- current interaction and physical model test, the hydrodynamic characteristics of the submarine composite pipeline in wave-current coexisting field (both regular and irregular waves) are investigated. The so-called 'modified diameter method' is used for analyzing the in-fine hydrodynamic coefficients of the composite pipeline, which are well related to KC number. The comparison of test data for regular and irregular waves shows that in the region of 90 > KC> 20, the results in these two cases can be unified. The effect of water depth is analyzed in details. The relationships between CD, CM and KC , which are based on the results of present research, may be used as a reference in engineering design.

Current Trends and Perspectives of Detection and Location for Buried Non-Metallic Pipelines

Buried pipelines are an essential component of the urban infrastructure of modern cities.Traditional buried pipes are mainly made of metal materials.With the development of material science and technology in recent years,non-metallic pipes,such as plastic pipes,ceramic pipes,and concrete pipes,are increasingly taking the place of pipes made from metal in various pipeline networks such as water supply,drainage,heat,industry,oil,and gas.The location technologies for the location of the buried metal pipeline have become mature,but detection and location technologies for the non-metallic pipelines are still developing.In this paper,current trends and future perspectives of detection and location of buried non-metallic pipelines are summarized.Initially,this paper reviews and analyzes electromagnetic induction technologies,electromagnetic wave technologies,and other physics-based technologies.It then focuses on acoustic detection and location technologies,and finally introduces emerging technologies.Then the technical characteristics of each detection and location method have been compared,with their strengths and weaknesses identified.The current trends and future perspectives of each buried non-metallic pipeline detection and location technology have also been defined.Finally,some suggestions for the future development of buried non-metallic pipeline detection and location technologies are provided.

Experimental investigation on the wave-induced pore pressure around shallowly embedded pipelines

A series of regular wave experiments have been done in a large-scale wave flume to investigate the wave-induced pore pressure around the submarine shallowly embedded pipelines. The model pipelines are buried in three kinds of soils, including gravel, sand and silt with different burial depth. The input waves change with height and period. The results show that the amplitudes of wave-induced pore pressure increase as the wave period increase, and decay from the surface to the bottom of seabed. Higher pore pressures are recorded at the pipeline top and the lower pore pressures at the bottom, especially in the sand seabed. The normalized pressure around pipeline decreases as the relative water depth, burial depth or scattering parameters increase. For the silt seabed, the wavelet transform has been successfully used to analyze the signals of wave - induced pore pressure, and the oscillatory and residual pore pressure can be extracted by wavelet analysis. Higher oscillatory pressures are recorded at the bottom and the lower pressures at the top of the pipeline. However, higher residual pressures are recorded at the top and the lower pressures at the bottom of the pipeline.

Laboratory investigation into the oil diffusion from submarine pipeline under water flow

A physical model test has been conducted to study the oil diffusion from the submarine pipeline under water flow.The crude oil in the flume is spilled from a leakage point of the pipeline and diffused from the seabed to the surface. By the non-contact optical measuring technology, an image acquisition and data analysis system is designed to explore the spilled mechanism and characteristic. The oil trajectory, velocity and the rising time to the surface are obtained through this system. The influence of the water flow and the spilled discharge on the behavior of the spilled oil are analyzed from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. The sensitivity study of the characteristic physical quantities to various factors are presented afterward. The spilled oil under water is mainly distributed in the form of the scattered particles with different sizes. The rising process of the oil can be divided into three stages: full, dispersion and aggregation period. The spilled discharge is the primary factor affecting the rising time of the oil particles. In the rising process of the oil particles, the vertical velocity of the oil is mainly affected by the spilled discharge, and the transverse velocity is more dependent on the water velocity. The deviation of the transverse oil velocity is much larger than that of the rising time and the vertical oil velocity. The study can provide a theoretical reference for the prediction system of oil spill emergency.

Research on Corrosion Protection of Buried Steel Pipeline

The corrosion types of buried steel pipelines were summarized from two aspects of internal corrosion and external corrosion;the main detection technology for internal and external corrosion was introduced;and the protective measures for corrosion and corrosion of buried steel pipelines were presented. The study of corrosion protection for buried steel pipeline provided the basis for the corrosion protection of buried steel pipeline.

In-Line Inspection of Pipeline Defects Detection Using Ring-Type Laser

Pipeline plays a vital role in transporting fluids like oils, water, and petrochemical substances for longer distances. Based on the materials they carry, prolonged usage may cause the initiation of defects in the pipeline. These defects occur due to the formed salt deposits, chemical reaction happens between the inner surface and the transferring substance, prevailing environmental conditions, etc. These defects, if not identified earlier may lead to significant losses to the industry. In this work, an in-line inspection system utilizes the nondestructive way for analyzing the internal defects in the petrochemical pipeline. This system consists of a pipeline inspection robot having two major units namely the visual inspection unit and the power carrier unit. The visual inspection unit makes use of a ring-type laser diode and the camera. The laser diode serves as a light source for capturing good quality images of inspection. This unit is controlled by the Arduino in the power carrier unit which provides the necessary movement throughout the pipe. The inspected images captured by the camera are further processed with the aid of NI vision assistant software. After applying the processing function parameters provided by this software, the defect location can be clearly visualized with high precision. Three sets of defects are introduced in a Polylactide (PLA) pipe based on its position and angle along the circumference of the pipe. Further, this robot system serves as a real-time interactive image synchronization system for acquiring the inspected images. By comparing the actual and calculated defect size, the error percentage obtained was less than 5%.

Metallography of an Underground Oil Pipeline

The purpose of this article is to show a metallographic analysis of an underground pipeline taken out of operation upon failure. The pipeline had an 8.89 cm (3.5”) diameter and a 7 mm thickness. The study was based on a 45 cm long pipe sample, visibly and entirely corroded, with a fish-mouth crack along its length. The work contributes to finding new ways to prevent structural failure, which has high-impact consequences from the point of view of production, damage to property, pollution, and risks to human live. Through this analysis the knowledge on behavior of failures in terrestrial ducts has been extended. Development of the research included metallographic, chemical, and mechanical tests on the sample in order to know the composition of the material, its strength and its physical conditions upon taking it out of operation. After the analysis of the laboratory tests, the physical and chemical features were compared to existing national and international regulations, which allowed a specific characterization of the conditions of the sample. In accordance with the regulations, the grade of the pipe was between ×65 and ×70. Tensile testing was carried out to obtain mechanical properties in order to corroborate the grade of pipeline steel and complement the metallographic analysis.

Main Gas Pipelines： Fracture Resistance Assessment of Pipes

This paper proposes an estimation method of fracture resistance of oil ＆ gas pipes, based on the results of full scale hydraulic pressure pipe testing with the artificial notch, made by the authors at 2002-2006. It shows that the fracture process at the stage of stripping （initialization） of crack can be characterized by Critical Fracture Diagram （CFD）. Calculating and experimental way to construct CFD is suggested and discussed. The fracture resistance requirements for oil ＆ gas pipes in terms of fracture mechanics （Kc, Lc） are formulated and proved. The results of full scale hydraulic pressure pipe testing, based on metal testing data of the standard Charpy specimens （KCV） and pipe＇s specification requirements are interrelated. The way to estimate the admissible temperature operation conditions of oil ＆ gas pipes by means of based metal ＂KCV-temperature＂ dependence is proposed.