Production of Grade X80 High Strain Linepipes for Seismic Region Application

Author(s):  
Ryuji Muraoka ◽  
Joe Kondo ◽  
Lingkang Ji ◽  
Hongyuan Chen ◽  
Yaorong Feng ◽  
...  

In order to achieve safety and reliability of long-distance gas transmission pipeline installed in seismic region while obtaining economical benefit by reducing material and construction cost, it is essential to apply the high-strength linepipes with sufficient strain capacity against buckling and weld fracture by seismic ground movement. At the same time, it is quite important to develop appropriate material requirement for strain capacity depending on the pipe dimension and strain demand of the region where the pipeline is installed. Grade X80 heavy gauge linepipes with excellent deformability were mass produced by applying advanced plate manufacturing technologies. These linepipes exhibit low Y/T and high uniform elongation in the longitudinal direction even after pipe coating. Strain capacity of the pipe against bending deformation with internal pressure was verified by conducting full scale pipe bending testing. In this paper, production results of high strain X80 linepipes for the application in long-distance pipelines in seismic region and full scale pipe bending and hydraulic burst test results were introduced.

Author(s):  
Hisakazu Tajika ◽  
Takahiro Sakimoto ◽  
Tsunehisa Handa ◽  
Rinsei Ikeda ◽  
Joe Kondo

Recently high grade pipeline project have been planned in hostile environment like landslide in mountain area, liquefaction in reclaimed land or the frost heave in Polar Regions. Geohazards bring large scale ground deformation and effect on the varied pipeline to cause large deformation. Therefore, strain capacity is important for the pipeline and strain based design is also needed to keep gas transportation project in safe. High grade steel pipe for linepipe tends to have higher yield to tensile (Y/T) ratio and it has been investigated that the lower Y/T ratio of the material improves strain capacity in buckling and tensile limit state. In onshore pipeline project, pipe usually transported in 12 or 18m each and jointed in the field. Girth weld (GW) is indispensable so strength matching of girth weld towards pipe body is important. In this study strain capacity of Grade X70 high strain pipes with size of 36″ OD and 23mm WT was investigated with two types of experiments, which are full scale pipe bending tests and curved wide plate tests. The length of the specimen of full scale bending tests were approximately 8m and girth weld was made in the middle of joint length. A fixed internal pressure was applied during the bending test. Actual pipe situation in work was simulated and both circumferential and longitudinal stress occurred in this test. Test pipes were cut and welded, GTAW in first two layer and then finished by GMAW. In one pipe, YS-TS over-matching girth weld (OVM) joint was prepared considering the pipe body grade. For the other pipe, intentionally under-matching girth weld (UDM) joint was prepared. After the girth welding, elliptical EDM notch were installed in the GW HAZ as simulated weld defect. In both pipe bending tests, the buckling occurred in the pipe body at approximately 300mm apart from the GW and after that, deformation concentrated to buckling wrinkle. Test pipe breaking locations were different in the two tests. In OVM, tensile rupture occurred in pipe body on the backside of buckling wrinkle. In UDM, tensile rupture occurred from notch in the HAZ. In CWP test, breaking location was the HAZ notch. There were significant differences in CTOD growth in HAZ notch in these tests.


Author(s):  
Yoshiyuki Matsuhiro ◽  
Noritake Oguchi ◽  
Toshio Kurumura ◽  
Masahiko Hamada ◽  
Nobuaki Takahashi ◽  
...  

The construction of the first L555(X80) pipeline in Japan was completed in autumn, 2011.In this paper, the overview of the design consideration of the line, technical points for linepipe material and for girth welds are presented. In recent years the use of high strength linepipe has substantially reduced the cost of pipeline installation for the transportation of natural gas. The grades up to L555(X80) have been used worldwide and higher ones, L690(X100) and L830(X120), e.g., are being studied intensively. In the areas with possible ground movement, the active seismic regions, e.g., pipeline is designed to tolerate the anticipated deformation in longitudinal direction. In Japan, where seismic events including liquefaction are not infrequent, the codes for pipeline are generally for the grades up to L450(X65). Tokyo Gas Co. had extensively investigated technical issues for L555(X80) in the region described above and performed many experiments including full-scale burst test, full-scale bending test, FE analysis on the girth weld, etc., when the company concluded the said grade as applicable and decided project-specific requirements for linepipe material and for girth weld. Sumitomo Metals, in charge of pipe manufacturing, to fulfill these requirements, especially the requirement of round-house type stress-strain (S-S) curve to be maintained after being heated by coating operation, which is critical to avoid the concentration of longitudinal deformation, developed and applied specially designed chemical composition and optimized TMCP (Thermo-Machanical Control Process) and supplied linepipe (24″OD,14.5∼18.9mmWT) with sufficient quality. It had also developed and supplied induction bends needed with the same grade. Girth welds were conducted by Sumitomo Metal Pipeline and Piping, Ltd and mechanized GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) was selected to achieve the special requirements, i.e., the strength of weld metal to completely overmatch the pipe avoiding the concentration of longitudinal strain to the girth weld, and the hardness to be max.300HV10 avoiding HSC (Hydrogen Stress Cracking) on this portion. Both of RT (Radiographic Test) and UT (Ultrasonic Test) were carried out to all the girth welds. These were by JIS (Japan Industrial Standards) and the project-specific requirements.


Author(s):  
Satoshi Igi ◽  
Joe Kondo ◽  
Nobuhisa Suzuki ◽  
Joe Zhou ◽  
Da-Ming Duan

In recent years, several natural gas pipeline projects have been planned for permafrost regions. Pipelines laid in such areas are subjected to large plastic deformation as a result of ground movement due to repeated thawing and freezing of the frozen ground. Likewise, in pipeline design methods, research on application of strain-based design as an alternative to the conventional stress-based design method has begun. Much effort has been devoted to the application of strain-based design to high strength linepipe materials. In order to verify the applicability of high-strain X100 linepipe to long distance transmission, a large-scale X100 pipeline was constructed using linepipe with an OD of 42″ and wall thickness of 14.3mm. This paper presents the results of experiments and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) focusing on the strain capacity of high-strain X100 linepipes. The critical compressive strain of X100 high-strain linepipes is discussed based on the results of FEA taking into account geometric imperfections. The critical tensile strain for high-strain X100 pipelines is obtained based on a curved wide plate (CWP) tensile test using specimens taken from girth welded joints. Specifically, the effect of external coating treatment on the strain capacity of X100 high-strain linepipe is investigated. The strain capacity of the 42″ X100 pipeline is considered by comparing the tensile strain limit obtained from girth weld fracture and critical compressive strain which occurs in local buckling under pure bending deformation.


Author(s):  
Hidenori Shitamoto ◽  
Masahiko Hamada ◽  
Nobuaki Takahashi ◽  
Yuki Nishi

Application of API X80 grade line pipes has been promoted to increase the operating pressure. It is generally known that the deformability of submerged arc welding (SAW) pipes is decreased by increasing strength of the pipes. The assessment of the strain capacity of X80 SAW pipes is required for strain-based design (SBD). In the assessment of the strain capacity, one of the important issues is the effect of thermal aging during the anti-corrosion coating on the yielding phenomenon. In this study, full-scale pipe bending tests of X80 SAW pipes produced by UOE process were performed to evaluate the effect of thermal aging on the strain capacity.


Author(s):  
Jian Shuai ◽  
Yinhui Zhang ◽  
Zhiyang Lv ◽  
Yaodong Shuai

Abstract High grade pipelines have been the majority in China since the beginning of this century. Some pipelines in mountainous area and other places experienced the ground movement because of geohazards and the disturb of construction activities. The strain capacity is important to keep pipelines subjected to tensile displacement in safe. However, the strain capacity does not depend on the pipe body but on the girth weld because the girth weld is always non-homogeneous. The strain concentration may happen where material yields in advance. Therefore, the strength matching of the girth weld towards pipe body can greatly affects strain capacity of pipelines. Generally, girth weld is designed to over-matching to prevent the strain concentration. However, in pipeline engineering, actual strength of pipe body may be much higher than the specified minimum yield stress, leading the girth weld to be under-matching in fact. In addition, even in over-matching girth weld, there may be softening zone in HAZ. In this paper, the tensile tests of X80 girth weld were performed. Local constitutive relations at the weld, pipe body and HAZ were obtained by using the whole field strain on the specimens. The experiment showed under-matching in the specimen. Based on the results of local constitutive properties of the specimen, the finite element model of X80 pipeline girth weld subjected to tensile strain and inner pressure was established. It demonstrated that strain concentration happened in weld area in under-matching girth weld and softening zone in over-matching girth weld. Inner pressure has an impact on strain concentration in a case that strain exceed the certain limit.


Author(s):  
Nobuyuki Ishikawa ◽  
Mitsuhiro Okatsu ◽  
Shigeru Endo ◽  
Joe Kondo ◽  
Joe Zhou ◽  
...  

Continuous efforts have been made for the realization of strain-based design pipeline using high grade linepipe materials. Two demonstrative constructions of the pipelines using X100 linepipe proved sufficient materials properties for strain-based design and high quality field welding with good productivity. In order to verify further applicability of high strain X100 linepipe for long distance transmission, large scale installation of X100 pipeline was accomplished. Mass production of X100 linepipe of about 2,000 metric tons with the size of 42″OD and 14.3mm wall thick was successfully conducted by applying recent developed TMCP process including accelerated cooling and online heat treatment process and UOE pipe forming. Field girth welding was safely completed by the dual tandem pulsed GMAW, and sufficient girth weld properties were demonstrated. This paper will describe material development and mass production results of X100 linepipe for strain-based design which specifying longitudinal tensile properties such as Y/T ratio and uniform elongation. In order to securely specify the shape of stress-strain curve without Luders elongation, material parameter “stress ratio” was introduced for the material specification for compressive strain capacity. Stringent base metal requirements were imposed for base metal material properties in this project. One of the most challenging aspects in developing high strain linepipe is to balance uniform elongation and Charpy absorbed energy. Dual phase microstructure is essential to improve strain capacity, but this may lead to lower Charpy absorbed energy. Therefore, precise control of microstructure by controlling plate manufacturing parameter was required. In addition, on-line heating process subsequently after accelerated cooling enabled increase of Charpy energy without deteriorating uniform elongation. Girth weld properties were closely evaluated using the X100 pipe in as UOE condition and after external coating. All the material properties of base metal and girth weldment of the X100 linepipes used for this project fulfill the stringent requirement for strain-based design consideration to prevent buckling and weld fracture.


Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Shinohara ◽  
Takuya Hara ◽  
Eiji Tsuru ◽  
Hitoshi Asahi ◽  
Yoshio Terada ◽  
...  

In strain-based design, the overmatch condition in the girth weld portion primarily must be maintained. The pipes may also be required to have a low yield to tensile (Y/T) ratio and a high uniform elongation (U.EL) in the longitudinal direction to achieve a high compressive buckling strain. However, change in the mechanical properties by heating during coating treatment has not been paid attention so much. Furthermore, how much the mechanical properties change is affected by production conditions is unclear. This study aims to clarify firstly the relation between the mechanical properties (Y/T ratio, U.EL etc.) and the microstructure and secondly the change in mechanical properties by thermal coating treatment. The Y/T ratio and U.EL are affected by the volume fraction of ferrite and the secondary phase, which are changed by thermomechanical control processing (TMCP) conditions. For example, use of dual phase microstructure is very effective for decreasing the Y/T ratio and increasing the U.EL as the pipe. On the other hand, yield strength (YS) rises and the U.EL does not change after coating. The increase in the YS after coating is influenced by the microstructure and TMCP conditions. Resultantly, dependence of the Y/T ratio on the microstructure and TMCP conditions is reduced for line pipes after thermal coating treatment.


Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Yong-Yi Wang ◽  
Brent Ayton ◽  
Mark Stephens ◽  
Steve Nanney

Pipeline construction activities and in-service interference events can frequently result in dents on the pipe. The pipelines can also experience high longitudinal strain in areas of ground movement and seismic activity. Current assessment procedures for dents were developed and validated under the assumption that the predominant loading is internal pressure and that the level of longitudinal strain is low. The behavior of dents under high longitudinal strain is not known. This paper discusses work funded by US DOT PHMSA on the assessment of dents under high longitudinal strain. Parametric numerical analyses were conducted to identify and examine key parameters and mechanisms controlling the compressive strain capacity (CSC) of pipes with dents. Selected full-scale tests were also conducted to experimentally examine the impact of dents on CSC. The focus of this work was on CSC because tensile strain capacity is known not to be significantly affected by the presence of dents. Through the parametric analyses and full-scale validation tests, guidelines on the CSC assessment of dented pipes under high longitudinal strain were developed.


Author(s):  
Hidenori Shitamoto ◽  
Eiji Tsuru ◽  
Hiroyuki Nagayama ◽  
Nobuaki Takahashi ◽  
Yuki Nishi

Application of API X80 grade line pipes has been promoted to reduce a construction cost of the pipeline. Assessment of the strain capacity of X80 submerged arc welded (SAW) pipe is required for strain-based design (SBD). Long distance gas pipelines are usually constructed using girth welded line pipes. In the assessment of the strain capacity, it is important to keep over-matching at girth welds. However, since strength variation exists in base metal and girth weld metal, the value of the matching ratio also changes. In this study, X80 SAW pipes produced by the UOE process were welded under slightly over-matching condition and full-scale pipe bending test of the girth welded pipe was performed to evaluate the effect of the matching ratio on the strain capacity.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document