Bolted fibre-reinforced polymer flange joints for pipelines: A review of current practice and future challenges

Abstract

Metallic bolted flanges and pipes have both been increasingly replaced by fibre-reinforced polymer materials in many applications which deal with extreme harsh environments such as oil, chemical, marine, etc. This is not only due to the fibre-reinforced polymer material’s resistance to the chemical reaction but also due to their inherent mechanical properties of high strength to weight ratio. However, very little research has been published regarding bolted flange joints made of fibre-reinforced polymer materials. Also, the availability of standards and relevant design codes are very limited for bolted fibre-reinforced polymer flange joints. Hence, the design guidelines, dimensional considerations and selection of fabrication methods for the bolted fibre-reinforced polymer flange joints have yet to be optimized fully. For instance, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, section X and ASME PCC-1-2013 appendix O or other similar standards do not include specific rules for the design of the bolted fibre-reinforced polymer flange joints. As a result, it is difficult to understand the consequences on the reliability of fibre-reinforced polymer flanges made with parametric variations and dimensional alterations. This has led the authors to carry out research to maximise the performance of the bolted fibre-reinforced polymer flange joints through a series of experimenters and numerical simulations. The present article will focus on the available techniques to manufacture the bolted fibre-reinforced polymer flanges along with the associated issues and possible challenges compared to metallic flanges.

Manufacturing and development of a bolted GFRP flange joint for oil and gas applications

“…In addition, this will reduce the bending moment, thereby reducing the flange rotation that encourages the leakage propagation. A number of previous studies 10,11 have indicated that the most common types of failures in commercially available GRP flanges manufactured by hand lay-up or filament winding processes occur at the flange-hub intersections, due to the discontinuity of fibres in this region. See Figure 5.…”

“…In addition, it was found that the composite flange with drilled bolts holes performed better, in terms of strength, than those with moulded holes. 12 A number of researchers 11,13 have carried out comparative studies on the drilling of the glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP), which are manufactured by hand lay-up, using a Stub Length drill and a Brad & Spur K10 drill. They found that the Brad & Spur K10 drill produced less damage on the GFRP composite than the Stub Length.…”

Calculation Model of Mechanical and Sealing Properties of NiTi Alloy Corrugated Gaskets under Shape Memory Effect and Hyperelastic Coupling: Two Sealing Properties

“…Meanwhile, it also showed that the micro-roughness significantly affects the sealing performance of gaskets [5][6][7]. Muhsin et al [8,9] studied the sealing performance of the convex surface of the metallic bolted flange joint based on the pressure-penetration criterion (PPNC) in ANSYS. A leakage rate prediction model was established.…”

Damage analysis of fiber–metal laminate patches as a repair system for surface defects of steel pipelines

“…Budhe et al 12 proposed a polymer-based composite repair using a hydrostatic burst test and showed that pipes up to 80% of wall loss defect could be repaired with composite patches and also showed that the hydrostatic burst test is a simple and accurate method to validate the FE model. Aljuboury et al 13 focused on the available techniques to manufacture the bolted fiberreinforced polymer flanges along with the associated issues and possible challenges compared to metallic flanges Saffar et al 14 investigated the effect of various defect patterns on API X65 Grade steel pipes by a ductile damage criterion. The results generated from FE simulations were compared with those from the ASTM PCC2 standard.…”