Three-dimensional Finite Element Analysis of the Mechanical Properties of Helical Thread Connection

Conventional analytical and numerical methods for the mechanical properties of helical threads are relied on many assumptions and approximations and thus hardly yield satisfied results. A parameterized 3D finite element model of bolted joints with real helical thread geometry is established and meshed with refined hexahedral elements. The Von Mises plasticity criterion, kinematic hardening rule of materials and interfacial contacts are employed to make it possible for the suggested model be able to approach real assembly conditions. Then, the mechanical properties of bolted joints with different thread pitches, thread numbers and modular ratios are investigated, including the contact pressure distribution at joint interfaces, the axial load distribution and stress concentration in screw threads during the loading and unloading process. Simulation results indicate that the load distribution in screw threads produced by the suggested model agrees well the results from CHEN’s photoelastic tests. In addition, an interesting phenomenon is found that tightening the bolt with a large preload first and then adjusting the clamping force by unloading can make the load distribution more uniform and reduce the maximum residual equivalent stress in thread roots by up to 40%. This research provides a simple and practical approach to constructing the 3D finite element model and predicting the mechanical properties of helical thread connection.

The development and application of premium thread connection tubing and casing products from Baosteel

Premium thread connection tubing and casing products are non-API products that are used in severe oil field conditions, such as deep wells ,ultra deep wells, high pressure gas wells, horizontal wells and steam injection wells, etc. In order to meet the requirements of oilfields for premium thread connection oil country tubular goods （ OCTG）, Baosteel developed its own series of premium thread connection tubing and casing products that are protected by intellectual property rights. This study introduces the process of developing the premium thread connection tubing and casing products, their characteristics, and their actual application in oil fields. It hopes to give customers a better understanding of Premium thread connection tubing and casing products from Baosteel.

Tribological Properties of API 10-Round Thread Connection During Make-and-Break Process

Galling is one of the most familiar failure forms for tubing and casing connections. It has been regarded as a key problem by metallurgy and petroleum systems all over the world. The theory of tribology and contact mechanics was used to analyze the contact force, plastic strain, and other parameters of API 10-round tubing connections in the process of makeup and breakout using the nonlinear finite element method. The stress states of the tubing thread connections were also analyzed for combined makeup and axial tensile loads. The results show that the main factors for tubing thread galling failure with thread grease are the normal contact force of the pin and box and the rigidity of the thread surface. The distribution of the contact force can be improved and the high contact force of the local thread can be reduced by optimizing the geometric parameters of the thread or using a small or varied pitch. The thread surface rigidity can be increased by improving the thread surface machining quality and by heat treatment. The chance of tubing thread galling failure can be reduced by designing hydraulic pressure tongs to avoid high speed and high torque makeup and by standardizing the operations of oilfield makeup and breakout.

Nonlinear Analysis of Axial-load and Stress Distribution for Threaded Connection

Analytical method for the distributions of axial-load and stress is based on elastic assumption, but the threaded connections are often in plastic deformation stage in practice. Meanwhile the strain in the threaded connection is difficult to measure. So it is necessary to study the reliable numerical method. At present neither the convergence analysis of the computational results nor the elastic-plastic analysis in the loading-unloading process are studied. In this paper, von Mises plasticity and kinematic hardening model is used to describe the material response. A new convergence criterion for nonlinear finite element analysis of the loading-unloading process is proposed. An axisymmetric finite element model according to the proposed convergence criterion is developed and used to analyze the distributions of axial-load and stress. It can be conclude that the stress distribution analysis is more dependent on the mesh density than the axial-load distribution analysis. The stress distribution result indicates that with increasing of applied load, the engaged threads close to the nut-bearing surface become plastic firstly. The axial-load distribution result reveals that the load percentage carried by single thread depends on the position of thread and load intensity. When the load is relatively small, the applied load is mainly carried by the engaged threads near the nut-bearing surface, when the load is larger, the differences of percentages for all threads become small. The proposed convergence analyzing procedure is applicable for other nonlinear analyses. The obtained distributions of axial-load and stress can be a reference of engineering application.

Sealing Reliability and Sensitivity Analysis for a Premium Threaded Connection Based on Kriging Model

In order to analyze the sealing performance of a new designed premium threaded connection,this paper studies the sealing reliability and sensitivity of the premium threaded connection at its most dangerous load condition based on Kriging model.The load condition of premium threaded connection in deep well is so complex that the most dangerous load point of premium threaded connection under the typical series loads is studied by finite element analysis(FEA) method firstly.Since the FEA of the premium threaded connection is too time-consuming,Kriging model which is accurate and efficient for multidimensional and highly nonlinear problems is built to calculate the sealing reliability of the premium threaded connection at the most dangerous load point.Finally,the sealing sensitivity analysis of the premium threaded connection is performed by the method of variance-based global sensitivity analysis.The work in this paper could contribute for the analysis and further improvement of the premium threaded connection.

The dynamic response of a high-density polyethylene slow-release structure under launching overload

Based on the 60 mm artillery grenade,a slow-release structure was designed to reduce the severity of ammunitions response to accidental thermal stimulation and improve the thermal stability of ammunitions.The slow-release structure was made of high-density polyethylene(HDPE) and connected the fuse and the projectile body through internal and external threads.To study the safety of the slowrelease structure under artillery launching overload,mechanical analysis of the slow-release structure was simulated via finite element analysis(FEA).The impacts of various factors(e.g.,fuse mass,number of threads,and nominal diameter of internal threads of the slow-release structure) on the connection strength of the slow-release structure were studied.A strength-prediction model based on the fuse mass and internal thread parameters was established by fitting the maximum effective stress of the slowrelease structure.This led to good prediction results.In conclusion,this study provides references and theoretical support for the design of thermal protection structures insensitive to ammunition.

Progress and future prospects of application technology for tubing and casing

The main failure modes of tubing and casing in current service conditions are represented in this study.The progress of the tubing and casing application technology and the problems that should be focused on during application are introduced,with special attention paid to the reliability of the pipe string design and the connection sealing properties.The necessary work that should be undertaken in future research is also summarized.

New design method of unequal taper thread(UTT)pairs and its application in API NC38 thread improvement

API standard threads are the most commonly used thread configurations for drill pipe joints in the petroleum industry.Recently with the increasing application of horizontal wells and extended-reach wells in drilling engineering,drill pipe joint threads are subjected to complex loads,and drill pipe joint thread breakage accidents occur frequently.The API NC38 threaded pair used in the SU36-8-4H2 well suffered a fracture accident.Macroscopic analysis found that the fracture sites were located near the root of the first engagement pin-thread where the stress was greatest.Therefore,it is necessary to find an alternative method to reduce the largest stress of NC38 threads.Then,a new design method of unequal taper thread(UTT)pairs is proposed that the taper of pin thread,slightly smaller than the taper of matched-box thread,is not equal to one of box-thread.In the UTT pairs of API NC38 thread,the taper of box thread is kept as the standard taper of 1:6,but the taper of pin thread is,respectively,1:6.1(UTT-I),1:6.2(UTT-Ⅱ),1:6.3(UTT-Ⅲ)and 1:6.4(UTT-IV).The 3D finite element models of four UTT pairs and one standard pair based on NC38 thread were developed,and the mechanical properties of five thread pairs bearing such typical working loads as torque,axial compression,axial tension,bending moment,internal and external pressure,were analyzed.The results show that four UTT pairs are superior to the standard pair of API NC38,and UTT-Ⅲ has the most performance in all of four UTT pairs.Compared with the standard pair of API NC38,UTT-Ⅲ pair can improve the bearing capacity such as torsion strength,compression strength,tensile strength,bending strength,strength against internal and external pressure,by 24.8%,13.2%,22%,9.99%and 14.2%,respectively.The new design method of UTT pair enhances the bearing capacity of API NC38 thread,and has been applied in Changqing Drilling Company of CNPC Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited.The UTT-thread pair method is not only applicable for API series threads to improve the connection performance,but also suitable for various non-API taper connection threads to promote existing working ability such as air tightness,stress corrosion resistance,fatigue resistance et al.