Stress Analysis and the Sealing Performance Evaluation of Pipe Flange Connections With Gaskets Subjected to Internal Pressure and External Bending Moment: Effects of Scatter in Bolt Preload

Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Wataru Maezaki ◽  
Satoshi Nagata

It has been well known that a scatter in axial bolt forces of pipe flange connections tightened by the torque control method is substantial. It is necessary for evaluating the sealing performance of the pipe flange connections with the gaskets subjected to internal pressure and external bending moment to know the contact gasket stress distributions due to the scatter of the axial bolt forces in the connections tightened by the torque control method. This paper deals with the leakage of the pipe flange connections with a spiral wound gasket subjected to internal pressure and external bending moment tightened by the torque control method. The scattered axial bolt forces were measured in the experiments. The contact gasket stress distributions at the interfaces between pipe flanges and the gasket were calculated under the measured axial bolt force by using elasto-plastic finite element method (FEM) taking into account hysteresis and non-linearity in the stress-strain curves of spiral wound gasket. The effects of the scatter in the axial bolt forces tightened by the torque control method on the gas leakage were also examined by using the actual pipe flange connections under internal pressure and external bending moment. By using the calculated contact stress distributions and the results of the leakage tests, the sealing performance was evaluated. It is found that the sealing performance is worse in the actual pipe flange connection than that evaluated by PVRC procedure.

Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Mitsuhiro Matsumoto ◽  
Satoshi Nagata

It has been well known that a scatter in axial bolt forces of pipe flange connections tightened by the torque control method is substantial. It is necessary for evaluating the sealing performance of the pipe flange connections with the gaskets subjected to intemal pressure to know the contact gasket stress distributions due to the scatter of the axial bolt forces in the connections tightened by the torque control method. This paper deals with the leakage of the pipe flange connections with a spiral wound gasket and that with a compressed sheet gasket tightened by the torque control method. The scatter in the axial bolt forces was measured in the experiments. The contact gasket stress distributions at the interfaces of the pipe flange connections with the gaskets were calculated under the measured axial bolt forces by using elasto-plastic finite element method (FEM) taking into account hysteresis and non-linearity in the stress-strain curves of the gaskets. The effects of the scatter in the axial bolt forces tightened by the torque control method on the gas leakage were also examined by using the actual pipe flange connections. As the result, a difference in an amount of gas leakage measured was found to be substantial between our study and PVRC procedure. By using the calculated contact gasket stress distributions under the internal pressure and the results of the leakage tests, the sealing performance was evaluated. It is found that the sealing performance is worse in the actual pipe flange connection than that evaluated by PVRC procedure.


Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Wataru Maezaki

It has been well known that a scatter in axial bolt forces of pipe flange connections tightened by the torque control method is substantial. In practice, pipe flange connections with the larger nominal diameter tightened by the torque control method have been used, frequently. So, in an optimum design of pipe flange connections with gaskets, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of the pipe flange connections with larger nominal diameter under internal pressure and the contact gasket stress distributions due to the scatter of the axial bolt forces in the connections tightened by the torque control method. In this paper, the leakage tests were performed in the actual larger pipe flange connections with 20” nominal diameter using helium gas. Then, the effects of the scatter in the axial bolt forces tightened by the torque control method on the gas leakage were also examined. By using the calculated contact stress distributions and the results of the leakage tests, the sealing performance was evaluated.


Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Yoshio Takagi ◽  
Katsuhiro Yamada

It has been well known that a scatter in axial bolt forces of pipe flange connections tightened by the torque control method is substantial. It is necessary for evaluating the sealing performance of the pipe flange connections with the gaskets subjected to internal pressure to know the contact gasket stress distributions due to the scatter of the axial bolt forces in the connections tightened by the torque control method. Especially, when gases are used in the pipe flange connections with gaskets at a high temperature, it is necessary to evaluate the amount of gas leakage. In this study, when bolts and nuts in a pipe flange connection were tightened using a torque wrench, the axial bolt forces were measured and then the amount of gas leakage in the pipe flange connection at 50,100,150 and 200 °C was measured under internal pressure. Leakage tests were performed using Helium gases. In addition, the thermal stress distributions at the interfaces between pipe flanges and the gasket under heat condition (temperature 50,100,150 and 200 °C) and internal pressure were calculated by using the finite element method (FEM) taking into account hysteresis in the stress-strain curves of a spiral wound gasket. By using the calculated contact stress distributions and the results of the leakage tests, the sealing performance was evaluated.


Author(s):  
Yoshio Takagi ◽  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Hiroyasu Torii ◽  
Yuya Omiya

It has been well known that a scatter in axial bolt forces in pipe flange connections tightened by the torque control method is substantial. In practice, pipe flange connections with the large nominal diameter tightened by the torque control method have been used in chemical industry, and so on. In our study, the characteristics of the connections with smaller nominal diameter (less than 8″) have been shown. So, in an optimum design of pipe flange connections with gaskets, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of the pipe flange connections with large nominal diameter under internal pressure and the contact gasket stress distributions due to the scatter in axial bolt forces in the connections tightened by the torque control method. In this paper, the experimental and FE analyses were done to evaluate the effect of scatter in axial bolt force on the gasket stress distribution and the sealing performance of pipe flange connections with 20″ nominal diameter. Two types of torque controlled assembling procedures, that is, ASME PCC-1 and JIS B 2251 procedures, are evaluated as an assembling procedures and an effect of scatter in the axial bolt forces obtained from the above methods is examined. Then, the effect of scatter in the axial bolt forces on the sealing performance of the connection is evaluated. The contact stress distribution in the larger pipe flange connection with 20″ nominal diameter under internal pressure is analyzed using FEM by taking into account a non-linearity and a hysteresis. The measured scatter in the axial bolt forces is applied in the FEM calculations.


Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Mitsuhiro Matsumoto ◽  
Fumio Ando

The leakage evaluation when gas is used is more severe than that when liquid is used in pipe flange connections. In a practical design, it is also necessary to examine the leakage in the connection under liquid internal pressure. This paper deals with the contact gasket stress distributions in the pipe flange connections with a spiral wound gasket and a compressed sheet gasket by using elasto-plastic finite element method (FEM) taking account hysteresis and non-linearity in the stress-strain curves of the gaskets, when bending moments as well as internal pressure are applied to the connections. In the FEM calculations, the effects of the gaskets and the initial clamping bolt force (bolt preload) on the contact gasket stress distributions are examined. The leakage tests for the connections under bending moments were also conducted by using liquid (water). By using the results of the leakage tests and the calculated contact gasket stress distributions, the sealing performance of the connections is evaluated. It is found that the sealing performance of the connection under the bending moment can be estimated when internal fluid is liquid (water).


Author(s):  
Satoshi Nagata ◽  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Seiichi Hamamoto

It has been well known that the scatter in axial bolt forces of bolted flange connections tightened by torque control methods is substantial. In evaluating the sealing performance of a bolted flange connection with a gasket subjected to internal pressure, it is necessary to know the contact gasket stress distributions due to the scatter of the axial bolt forces in the flange connections tightened by torque control methods. This paper deals with the leakage of a bolted flange connection with a cover of pressure vessel including a spiral wound gasket tightened by a torque wrench. The scatter in the axial bolt forces was measured using strain gauges attached at the shank of bolts. The amount of leakage from the bolted flange connection with cover of pressure vessel was measured by so-called pressure decay method. The gas employed was Helium. From the measured leakage, the actual assembly efficiency is examined. The eight bolts and nuts were tightened according to the ASME PCC-1 method and Japanese method developed by High Pressure Institute (HPI). The difference in the bolt preload was shown between the ASME method and the HPI method. The contact gasket stress distributions at the interface of the flange connection with the gasket were calculated under the measured axial bolt forces by means of finite element analysis. Using the calculated gasket contact stress distribution, the amount of gas leakage was estimated. The estimated gas leakage was compared with the measured results.


Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Takeshi Iwamoto ◽  
Kensuke Funada ◽  
Yuya Omiya

The leakage evaluation when gas is used is more severe than that when liquid is used in pipe flange connections. In a practical design, it is also necessary to examine the leakage in the connections under liquid internal pressure application. The contact gasket stress distribution in the connection with a spiral wound gasket subjected to internal pressure and bending moments were analyzed using elasto-plastic (EP) finite element method (FEM) taking account hysteresis and nonlinearity in the stress-strain curve of the gasket. The effects of initial clamping bolt force (bolt preload), the nominal pressure and the nominal diameter of pipe flange and the equivalent pressure when the leakage occurs on the contact gasket stress distributions were examined. The leakage tests for the connections under the bending moments and the internal pressure were also conducted by using liquid (water). By using the results of the leakage tests and the calculated contact gasket stress distributions, the sealing performance of the connections was evaluated. It was found that the sealing performance of the connection can be estimated when liquid (water) was used, that is, when the contact gasket stress becomes zero, the leakage occurs. In addition, a method for determining the bolt preload in the connections under the bending moments was proposed for the reliable design.


Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Wataru Maezaki

The contact gasket stress distributions of a non-circular flange connection with a compressed asbestos sheet gasket subjected to internal pressure were analyzed taking account a hysteresis of the gasket by using finite element method (FEM). Leakage tests were also conducted using an actual non-circular flange connection with a compressed asbestos sheet gasket under internal pressure. By using the contact gasket stress distributions and the results of the leakage tests, the new gasket constants were calculated. A difference in the new gasket constants between the values obtained from the present study and those by the PVRC procedure was substantial. In addition, a method to determine the initial clamping bolt force (bolt preload) for a given tightness parameter was demonstrated. abstract text here.


Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Ryo Kurosawa ◽  
Yasuaki Tatsumi

The contact gasket stress distributions of rectangular box-shape flange connections with compressed joint sheet gaskets subjected to internal pressure were analyzed taking account hysteresis of the gaskets using finite element method (FEM). Leakage tests were also conducted using actual rectangular box-shape flange connections with compressed joint sheet gaskets under internal pressure. By using the contact gasket stress distributions and the results of the leakage tests, the new gasket constants were calculated. The difference in the new gasket constants between the values obtained from the present study and those by the PVRC procedure was substantial. In addition, a method to determine the initial clamping bolt force (bolt preload) for a given tightness parameter was demonstrated.


Author(s):  
Ryou Kurosawa ◽  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Yuya Omiya ◽  
Kentaro Tenma

Bolted joints with gaskets such as flexible box-shaped flange joints have been used in mechanical structures. The joints are usually used under internal pressure as well as other loadings such as thermal, impact loadings and so on. In designing the bolted flexible box-shaped flange joint with gaskets, it is important to evaluate the sealing performance of the joints under internal pressure and thermal conduction conditions. In this paper, the contact gasket stress distributions and changes in bolt load in the bolted flexible box-shaped flange joint with joint sheet gaskets subjected to internal pressure and thermal conduction condition are analyzed using the finite element method (FEM). The leakage tests were conducted using an actual box-shaped flange connection with a joint sheet gasket. Using the contact gasket stress distributions under internal pressure at an elevated temperature (Helium gas) obtained from the FEM calculations and the amount of the gas leakage measured in the experiment, the sealing performances are evaluated experimentally and numerically. In addition, the effect of the thermal conduction condition on the sealing performance is examined. Furthermore, a method how to determine the bolt preload of the flexible box-shaped flange joint at an elevated temperature for a given tightness parameter is demonstrated. Discussion is made on the sealing performance.


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