A Determination Method of Bolt Preload for Bolted Pipe Flange Connections With Metal Gaskets Under Internal Pressure

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Kondo ◽  
Toshiyuki Sawa
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Bolted Joints ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Bolt Preload ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Bolted Flange ◽  
The Given ◽  
Outside Diameter ◽  
Better Than

FEM calculations and leakage experiments are carried out for bolted flanged connections with metal flat gaskets. It is found that the sealing performance of bolted flanged connections with raised face metal gaskets under internal pressure is improved significantly when the contact gasket stress reaches the gasket yield stress. In our FEM calculations it is demonstrated that the contact gasket stress at the outside diameter is bigger than that at the inside diameter due to the flange rotation. It is also found from the leakage test results and the FEM calculations that the sealing performance of the bolted flange connections with metal flat gasket is better than that of the metal gasket in platen device tests,. In addition, the contact stress in the joints with RTJ (ring type joint) gasket is examined and 4 stress peaks on the oval type and 8 peaks on the octagonal type are found. From the obtained results, a method for determining the bolt preloads in the bolted joints using flat metal gaskets and RTJ gaskets under internal pressure is proposed taking account the given allowable leak rate. Finally, the leak rates for bolted flanged connections tightened under internal pressure are compared with the experimental results. The new method can be proposed for determining the bolt preload for bolted flange connections with metal gaskets under internal pressure at room temperature.

Axi-Symmetric Stress Analysis and Determination of Bolt Preload in Bolted Flange Connections With Cover of Pressure Vessel Subjected to Internal Pressure

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Satoshi Nagata ◽  
Yosuke Akita
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Theory Of Elasticity ◽  
Body Contact ◽  
Flange Connection ◽  
Bolt Preload ◽  
Three Body ◽  
Bolted Flange ◽  
The Given ◽  
Spiral Wound

The stresses of a bolted flange connection with a cover of pressure vessel (CPV) in which a spiral wound gasket is inserted, under internal pressure are analyzed taking account a hysteresis of the gasket using the axi-symmetrical theory of elasticity as a three-body contact problem. In addition, for the verification of the analyses, finite-element calculations were also done. The Leakage tests were conducted for an actual bolted flange connection with a CPV and a spiral wound gasket. Using the calculated contact gasket stress distribution of the bolted flange connection with the CPV under internal pressure and the tightness parameter, the values of the new gasket constants were obtained by taking into account the changes in the contact gasket stress. A difference in the new gasket constants between the estimated values obtained from the actual bolted flange connection with the CPV and the values obtained by the PVRC procedure was small. In addition, a method to determine the bolt preload for a given tightness parameter was demonstrated. The obtained results of the bolt preload for the bolted flange connection with the CPV were in a fairly good agreement with those obtained by the PVRC procedure under a lower pressure application. However, a difference in the bolt preload was about 7% when the given tightness parameter was increased.

FEM Stress Analysis and the Sealing Performance Evaluation in Bolted Flange Connections With Ring Joint Gasket Subjected to Internal Pressure: Effect of Scatter in Bolt Preloads

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Kondo ◽  
Shota Tsubaki ◽  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Tsutomu Kikuchi ◽  
Yuya Omiya
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Leak Rate ◽  
Stress Distributions ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Torque Wrench ◽  
Helium Gas ◽  
Higher Temperature ◽  
Bolted Flange ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Good Agreement

Bolted flange connections with ring joint gaskets have been used to seal the inner fluid under higher internal pressure and higher temperature conditions where soft gaskets such as compressed sheet gaskets cannot be applied. Bolted flange connections are frequently tightened using torque wrench, and it is known that the values of bolt preloads are scattered. The effect of the scatter on the sealing performance for bolted flange connections with compressed sheet gasket or semi-metal gasket has been examined. However, no research on the characteristics for the bolted flange connections with ring joint gasket has been found. It is necessary to know the effect of the scattered bolt preloads on the sealing performance and mechanical behavior of the connection with ring joint gasket. In addition, it is important to know an optimum method for determining the bolt preloads taking account of the scatter in bolt preloads. In this paper, leakage tests for bolted flange connections with octagonal ring joint gaskets were conducted for cases where the bolt preloads are uniform and scattered. The sealing performance of these connections with ring joint gaskets was measured and evaluated. In addition, the leak rate was estimated using the contact gasket stress distributions of the connections when the bolt preloads were uniform and scattered using 3-D FEM. Finally, the measured leak rate for the connection using helium gas was compared with the estimated results. The estimated results are in fairly good agreement with the measured values. It is found that the sealing performance of the connections tightened with the uniform bolt methods is better than that with scattered bolt preloads.

FEM Stress Analysis and Sealing Performance in Bolted Flange Connections With Cover of Pressure Vessel Subjected to Internal Pressure

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Rie Higuchi
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Contact Stress ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
The Finite Element Method ◽  
Flange Connection ◽  
Bolt Preload ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Bolted Flange ◽  
Contact Stress Distribution ◽  
Spiral Wound

The stresses of a bolted flange connection with a cover of pressure vessel (CPV) in which a spiral wound gasket is inserted, under internal pressure are analyzed taking account a hysteresis of the gasket by using the finite element method (FEM). The leakage tests were also conducted using an actual bolted flange connection with a CPV with a spiral wound gasket. Using the contact stress distribution of the bolted flange connection with a CPV under internal pressure and the tightness parameter, the values of the new gasket constants were obtained by taking into account the changes in the contact stress. A difference in the new gasket constants between the estimated values obtained from the actual bolted flange connection with a CPV and the values obtained by the PVRC procedure was small. In addition, a method to determine the bolt preload for a given tightness parameter was demonstrated. The obtained results of the bolt preload for the bolted flange connection with a CPV were in a fairly good agreement with those obtained by the PVRC procedure under a lower pressure application. However, a difference in the bolt preload was about 7% when the internal pressure was increased.

FEM Analysis and Evaluation of the Sealing Performance in Flexible Box-Shape Flanged Bolted Joints With Gaskets Subjected to Internal Pressure: Effect of the Bolt Pitch

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Ryo Kurosawa ◽  
Yasuaki Tatsumi
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Fem Analysis ◽  
Bolted Joints ◽  
Stress Distributions ◽  
The Finite Element Method ◽  
Analysis And Evaluation ◽  
Flange Connection ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Helium Gas ◽  
Bolted Flange

Bolted joints with gaskets such as non-circular flange connections have been widely used in mechanical structures, nuclear and chemical industry, and so on. They are usually used under internal pressure as well as other loadings such as thermal, impact loadings and so on. In designing the non-circular flange connections with gaskets, it is important to evaluate the sealing performance of the non-circular flange connections with gaskets subjected to internal pressure. An important issue is how to evaluate the sealing performance in the box-shape bolted flange connections by using the contact gasket stress distributions at the interfaces, how to reduce a number of bolt and nuts, that is, how to enlarge the bolt pitch, and how to determine the initial clamping bolt force (preload) by using the new gasket constants. In this paper, the stresses of box-shape flange connection with gaskets subjected to an internal pressure are analyzed using the finite element method (FEM), taking account a hysteresis in the stress-strain curves of the gasket. The contact gasket stress distributions when the internal pressure is applied to the connection are analyzed. The leakage tests were conducted using an actual box-shape flange connection with a gasket Using the contact gasket stress distributions at the interfaces under an internal pressure (Helium gas was used) and the amount of the leakage measured in the experiment, the sealing performances are evaluated experimentally and theoretically by changing the bolt pitch in the connections. Discussion is made on the effect of the bolt pitch on the sealing performance in the above connections.

FEM Analysis and an Evaluation of the Sealing Performance in Flexible Box-Shape Flanged Bolted Joints With Gaskets Subjected to Internal Pressure

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Ryo Kurosawa ◽  
Yasuaki Tatsumi
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Method ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Fem Analysis ◽  
Bolted Joints ◽  
Stress Distributions ◽  
Bolt Preload ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Element Method

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.

FEM Stress Analysis and Sealing Performance Evaluation in Bolted Flange Connections With Metal Flat Gasket Subjected to Bending Moment and Internal Pressure

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Kondo ◽  
Yuya Omiya ◽  
Shota Tsubaki ◽  
Toshiyuki Sawa
Keyword(s):  
Plastic Deformation ◽  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Leak Rate ◽  
Stress Distributions ◽  
Bolt Preload ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Higher Temperature ◽  
Contact Surfaces ◽  
Bolted Flange

Bolted flange connections with metal gasket have been used at higher pressure under higher temperature condition. Assembly procedures and tightening methods the connections including some types of metal gasket is empirically. Generally, it is known that the bolt preload which is required for satisfying an indicated leak rate in the connections including the metal gasket is not higher than that of the connections including sheet gaskets and spiral wound gaskets. However, no research for the evaluating the sealing performance in the bolted flange connections with metal gaskets has been conducted. In this paper, the leakage tests for the bolted flange connections with the metal flat gasket were conducted in the case where the maximum internal pressure of 7MPa and a bending moment are applied, where the leak rate is measured using the pressure drop method. Then, the sealing performance of the connections with the metal flat gasket was evaluated. In addition, using the FEM stress calculations, the flange stress distributions between the flange surface and the gasket were examined as the evaluation. As the result, it is found that the stress distribution at the contact surfaces between the metal flat gasket and the flange surface under the bending moment and the internal pressure. In the leakage tests, it was observed that the amount of the leakage (He gas) depends on the stress distributions and the plastic deformation of the gasket.

FEM Stress Analysis and Sealing Performance in Bolted Flange Connections With Cover of Pressure Vessel Subjected to Internal Pressure

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Rie Higuchi
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
The Finite Element Method ◽  
Flange Connection ◽  
Pressure Application ◽  
Bolt Preload ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Bolted Flange ◽  
Good Agreement ◽  
Spiral Wound

The stresses of a bolted flange connection with a cover of pressure vessel (CPV) in which a spiral wound gasket is inserted, under internal pressure are analyzed taking account a hysteresis of the gasket using the finite element method (FEM). The leakage tests were also conducted for an actual bolted flange connection with a CPV and a spiral wound gasket. Using the calculated contact gasket stress distribution of the bolted flange connection with the CPV under internal pressure and the tightness parameter, the values of the new gasket constants were obtained by taking into account the changes in the contact gasket stress. A difference in the new gasket constants between the estimated values obtained from the actual bolted flange connection with the CPV and the values obtained by the PVRC procedure was small. In addition, a method to determine the bolt preload for a given tightness parameter was demonstrated. The obtained results of the bolt preload for the bolted flange connection with the CPV were in a fairly good agreement with those obtained by the PVRC procedure under a lower pressure application. However, a difference in the bolt preload was about 7% when the internal pressure was increased.

Effects of Nut Thinning on the Bolt Load Reduction in Bolted Flange Joints Under Internal Pressure and Bending Moments

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsutomu Kikuchi ◽  
Toshiyuki Sawa
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Bolted Joints ◽  
External Loading ◽  
Load Reduction ◽  
Bending Moments ◽  
Stress Distributions ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Bolted Flange

In the depreciation evaluations for pressure equipment, it is important for engineers to evaluate the reduction in the sealing performance in bolted flange joints under external loading. In this study the effects of nut thinning due to corrosion on the bolt load reduction in 3 inch and 20 inch bolted flange joints under internal pressure and bending moments are investigated. The stress distributions in the bolted joints, in particular, in using bolts are examined with both FEM calculations and measurements. The obtained stress distributions in the bolts are discussed from the strength standpoint. The sealing performance of the joints with thinned nuts are measured and it is discussed concerning the effect of the thinned nuts on the sealing performance. The following results are obtained: 1) when the height of the nut was kept constant at the 2/3 height of the original dimensions according to the JPI standard, the sealing performance of the joints with the thinned nuts is the same as that with the original height nuts under internal pressure and bending moments. 2) when the height of the nut was reduced to 1/3 height of the original dimensions according to the JPI standard, the sealing performance of the joints could no longer be assured. Thus, it can be concluded that the reduction of the nuts should be checked.

Stress Analysis and Sealing Performance Evaluation in Rectangular Box-Shape Bolted Flange Connection With Gasket Subjected to Internal Pressure

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Ryo Kurosawa ◽  
Wataru Maezaki
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Method ◽  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Research Council ◽  
Stress Distributions ◽  
The Finite Element Method ◽  
Flange Connection ◽  
Bolt Preload ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Bolted Flange

The contact gasket stress distributions in a rectangular box-shape bolted flange connection with a compressed sheet gasket subjected to internal pressure were analyzed using the finite element method. Leakage tests were also conducted for an actual rectangular box-shape bolted flange connection with a compressed sheet gasket under internal pressure. Using the obtained 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 from the Pressure Vessel Research Council (PVRC) procedure was substantial. In addition, a method to determine the bolt preload for a given tightness parameter was demonstrated and the difference in the determined bolt preload was shown between the present study and the PVRC procedure. The characteristics of the rectangular box-shape bolted flange connection were demonstrated by comparing those of circular bolted flange connections.

The Effect of Clamping Force and Material Properties on the Tightness Performance a Flexible Box-Shaped Flange Bolted Joint

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryou Kurosawa ◽  
Toshiyuki Sawa ◽  
Satoshi Nagata ◽  
Yasuaki Tatsumi
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Bolted Joints ◽  
Clamping Force ◽  
Stress Distributions ◽  
The Finite Element Method ◽  
Flange Connection ◽  
Sealing Performance ◽  
Helium Gas ◽  
Bolted Flange ◽  
Cover Material

Bolted joints with gaskets such as non-circular flange connections have been widely used in mechanical structures, nuclear and chemical industry, and so on. They are usually used under internal pressure as well as other loadings such as thermal, impact loadings and so on. In designing the non-circular flange connections with gaskets, it is important to evaluate the sealing performance of the non-circular flange connections with gaskets subjected to internal pressure. An important issue is how to evaluate the sealing performance in the box-shaped bolted flange connections by using the contact gasket stress distributions at the interfaces, how to reduce the weight and how to determine the initial clamping bolt force (preload) by using the new gasket constants. In this paper, the stresses of box-shaped flange connection with gaskets subjected to an internal pressure are analyzed using the finite element method (FEM), taking account a hysteresis in the stress-strain curves of the gasket. The reduced contact gasket stress distributions are analyzed when the internal pressure is applied to the connection. The leakage tests were conducted using an actual box-shaped flange connection with a gasket. Using the reduced contact gasket stress distributions at the interfaces under an internal pressure (Helium gas was used) and the amount of the leakage measured in the experiment, the sealing performances are evaluated experimentally and theoretically by changing the initial clamping force and cover material in the connections. In addition, the sealing performance of the connection with raised face is also examined. Discussion is made on the effects of the initial clamping force, cover material and the types of facing on the sealing performance in the above connections.

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