Development and qualification of a new polymeric matrix laminated composite for pipe repair

doi:10.1016/j.compstruct.2016.05.091

Composite Structures

Volume 152, 15 September 2016, Pages 737-745

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2016.05.091 Get rights and content

Abstract

Nowadays the use of polymeric matrix composites to repair and strengthen the damaged pipe structures in the oil industry has become a common practice. Hence, it is essential to validate the performance of new developed composite laminate materials for the damaged pipe repair. In this study, the effectiveness of a new composite laminate for the pipes repair was investigated. First, the mechanical and thermal properties of the new developed composite laminate were determined. Next, two defect types, Type A (non-through wall) and Type B (through wall) were manufactured into the pristine pipe specimen and the evaluation of the performance of the repaired pipe was carried out by hydrostatic tests. The performance of the repaired pipe using the new developed composite laminate material was satisfactory in both defect types.

Introduction

Pipe and pipelines are extensively used to carry/transport fluid (oil, gas, water) over a long distance. Generally, the pipe is made up of steel metal due to its high strength, low cost, efficient and safe compared to other materials [1]. However, it is more sensitive to corrosion in harsh environment, particularly in the presence of sea water and sulfur ingress media [2], [3]. As is known, the pipelines are exposed to a harsh environment such as submerged in water (offshore unit), underground pipe (sewage pipelines, oil pipelines) and above the ground pipe (water pipelines). Almost, in all practical applications the pipes are subjected to harsh environmental conditions which lead to an internal and an external damage, specially corrosion damage and deterioration. An external damage also occurs in the form of cracking, wear, dents caused by impact during transportation and installation process [4]. In the past, it was common practice to completely replace the affected sections of pipe. However, as this always involves a transport stoppage, repair systems are seeing as fast and economical alternatives as do not interrupt operations.

Traditionally, welding technique is used to repair the damaged part by cutting or replacing the damaged section and use of a steel patch. However, this technique requires to stop the operation while the repair is being performed and the process also involves the hotwork [5], [6]. Recently, fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) matrix composite repair systems have emerged as an alternative repair system to the welding technique. The application of adhesive bonded joints in structural components made of fiber-reinforced composites have increased significantly in the last years [7]. Repairs made with FRP materials offer distinct advantages such as reduced cost [8], corrosion prevention [8], [9], [10], more safety [11] and quick repair [10] etc.

The use of fiber reinforced composites has already been proven an effective tool for the repair of damaged structures [12], [13], [14], [15]. To evaluate the effectiveness of a given repair system, it is important to study the critical parameters that affect the performance of the repair composite (i.e. geometry of the repair including thickness, type of composite materials including fiber and resin, orientation of fibers and method of installation etc). [13], [15], [16]. In the last years, several researchers [17], [18], [19], [20], [21] investigated the mechanical and thermal properties of the composite repair material in order to have the best possible combination of composite material and assure the repair performance. Successful application of composite repair material for the corroded or damaged pipe was found [22], [23], [24], [25]. However, the pipeline repair still presents some difficulties regarding its long term durability. These difficulties are related to the lack of a sufficient number of test results and the validation of the composite material properties.

The present paper deals with an experimental analysis of a new glass fiber reinforced repair system for metallic pipelines with a standard defect size as per the standard ISO/TS24817 [26]. The primary focus of this research program was the development of the glass-based composite repair system and further the system was tested and validated by the standard ISO/TS24817 [26]. Hydrostatic tests were performed to validate the performance of the composite repair system.

Section snippets

Woven fabric

The selection of woven fabric composite material for tube repair should have the following characteristics: light-weight which offer in greater ease for resin impregnation. The resin-woven proportion used was 2:1. The fabric should have approximately 66% of their fibers orientated in its longitudinal direction (circumferential direction of the duct) and 34% in the transverse direction (axial duct direction). The choice of this setting is based on the stresses acting on a thin-walled cylinder

Volumetric percentages of fiber and resin

The results obtained from the acid digestion tests are presented in Table 2. The acid digestion test provides the percentage of weight of fibers and resins.

Shear modulus and poisson’s ratio are calculated from the law of mixture and data from the acid digestion test. $Law of mixture E_{1} = E_{f} V_{f} + E_{m} V_{m}$ $Shear modulus \frac{1}{G_{12}} = \frac{V_{f}}{G_{f}} + \frac{V_{m}}{G_{m}} \to G_{12} = 1630.0 MPa$ $Poisson ration υ_{12} = υ_{f} V_{f} + ν_{m} V_{m} \to ν_{12} = 0.28$ In case of a two-dimensional configuration, the fibers oriented in the longitudinal direction are considered as a booster, and

Defect type A

Fig. 14 shows the tube specimen after applying the failure pressure. Plastic deformation was observed at both ends of the pipe without failure in the composite repair section. On magnifying the image, it is clearly seen that the plastic deformation of the tube occurred instead of failure of the composite repair. Hence, the composite repair with the repair thickness (16 mm) can sustain the desired pressure without failure of the composite repair pipe.

Defect Type B

The failure occurs (Fig. 15a and b) at the

Conclusions

In this work, a new composite laminate material for pipe repair was developed and the results were validated according to ISO/TS 24817. The developed repair system is suitable to repair Type A (non-through wall) as well as Type B (through wall) defects.

The comparison of the composite laminate material properties obtained through experimental and theoretical model showed a good correlation, which gives confidence of the procedures adopted for the preparation of specimens. The performance of the

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the Brazilian Research Agencies CNPQ, CAPES and FAPERJ.

References (33)

J.M. Duell et al.
Analysis of a carbon composite over wrap pipeline repair system
Int J Pressure Vessel Pip
(2008)
W.K. Goertzen et al.
Dynamic mechanical analysis of carbon/epoxy composites for structural pipeline repair
Compos Part B-Eng
(2007)
G. Marsh
Composites renovate deteriorating sewers
Reinf Plast
(2004)
M. Shamsuddoha et al.
Effectiveness of using fibre-reinforced polymer composites for underwater steel pipeline repairs
Compos Struct
(2013)
M. Shamsuddoha et al.
Effectiveness characterisation of mechanical and thermal properties of epoxy grouts for composite repair of steel pipelines
Mater Des
(2013)
J.M. Duell et al.
Analysis of a carbon composite overwrap pipeline repair system
Int J Pressure Vessel Pip
(2008)
H.S. da Costa Mattos et al.
Analysis of burst tests and long-term hydrostatic tests in produced water pipelines
Eng Fail Anal
(2012)
N. Saeed et al.
Composite repair of pipelines, considering the effect of live pressure-analytical and numerical models with respect to ISO/TS 24817 and ASME PCC-2
Compos Part B-Eng
(2014)
F. Saint-Michel et al.
Mechanical properties of high density polyurethane foams: I. Effect of the density
Compos Sci Technol
(2006)
F. Saint-Michel et al.
Mechanical properties of high density polyurethane foams: II. Effect of the filler size
Compos Sci Technol
(2006)

S. Husic et al.

Thermal and mechanical properties of glass reinforced soy-based polyurethane composites

Compos Sci Technol

(2005)

H.S. da Costa Mattos et al.

Analysis of a glass fibre reinforced polyurethane composite repair system for corroded pipelines at elevated temperatures

Compos Struct

(2014)

L.P. Djukic et al.

Development of a fibre reinforced polymer composite clamp for metallic pipeline repairs

Mater Des

(2015)

H.S. da Costa Mattos et al.

An alternative methodology to repair localized corrosion damage in metallic pipelines with epoxy resins

Mater Des

(2009)

I.A. Alnaser et al.

Comparison of coupon and full-scale determination of energy release rate for bonded composite repairs of pressure equipment

Eng Fract Mech

(2015)

J.L. Kennedy

Oil and gas pipeline fundamentals

(1993)

Cited by (49)

Stress evaluation method of reinforced wall-thinned Class 2/3 nuclear pipes for structural integrity assessment
2024, Nuclear Engineering and Technology
When wall-thinning occurs in nuclear Class 2 and 3 pipes, reinforcement is typically applied rather than replacement. To analyze the structural integrity of reinforced wall-thinned pipe, stress analysis results using full 3-D FE analysis are not compatible to the design code equation, ASME BPVC Sec. III NC/ND-3650. Therefore, the efficient stress evaluation method for the reinforced wall-thinned pipe, compatible to the design code equation, needs to be developed. In this paper, stress evaluation methods for the reinforced wall-thinned pipe are proposed using the equivalent straight pipe concept. Furthermore, for fatigue analysis of the reinforced wall-thinned pipe, the stress intensification factor of reinforced wall-thinned pipe is presented using the structural stress method given in ASME BPVC Sec. VIII Div.2.
Analysis of the efficiency of corroded pressure vessels with composite repair – Part II
2023, International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping
This paper is part of a research project concerning the efficiency of composite repair in corroded metallic pressure vessels. The focus is to evaluate localized repairs in corroded areas near nozzles. Numerical results indicate that vessel failure occurs due to detachment of the composite from the steel and loss of repair efficiency. The numerical results were validated against experimental tests. 50% thickness reduction defects were manufactured into full-scale metallic vessels and the failure pressure of the repaired vessels was determined using hydrostatic tests. Two companies, with expertise in repairing metallic structures using composite materials, were contracted and the results of the laminations made by both were compared. The repair proved to be effective since the burst pressures exceeded the hydrostatic test pressure by more than three times.
Lateral deformation behaviour of structural internal replacement pipe repair systems
2023, Composite Structures
Structural internal replacement pipe (SIRP) systems are emerging composite technologies for the repair of circumferentially cracked host pipes or pipes with joints subject to lateral deformation caused by the surface loads from vehicular traffic. However, laboratory experiments to investigate the suitability of different SIRP systems in repairing full-scale pipes are a very costly and time-consuming process. This paper investigated numerically the behaviour of SIRP repair systems under lateral deformation using the three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). The FEA model was validated from the results of the full-scale experimental test. The effect of the crack width of the host pipe, thickness, and material properties of the SIRP, on the bending behaviour of the pipe repair system, was evaluated. The results of the analyses show that the effect of the thickness and elastic modulus of the SIRP on the lateral deformation behaviour is dependent on the width of the circumferential crack in the host pipe. A simplified analytical model based on Fibre model analysis (FMA) and incorporating an average stress factor for host pipes with a narrow crack width was developed to reliably describe the lateral deformation behaviour of the SIRP systems.
Analysis of the efficiency of corroded pressure vessels with composite repair
2023, International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping
This paper is part of a research project concerning the efficiency of composite repair in corroded metallic pressure vessels. The focus is to evaluate localized repairs in corroded areas near nozzles. A numerical model was developed, and the results were validated against experimental tests. 50%, 70%, and 80% thickness reduction defects were manufactured into small-scale metallic vessels in two different positions and the failure pressure of the repaired vessels was determined using hydrostatic tests. The numerical and experimental results show that the failure pressure of the repaired vessel is close to the non-defective vessel, showing that the repair system was efficient.
Advances in design of polymer composite overwrap system for repair of pipeline damages induced by quasi-static and impact loading
2023, Polymer Composite Systems in Pipeline Repair: Design, Manufacture, Application, and Environmental Impacts
Oil and gas industry uses pressure pipes extensively, some of them in potentially hazardous circumstances when exposed to quasi-static and impact-loading scenarios. Most steel pipes are normally repaired according to conventional wisdom by either removing the damaged portion and replacing it with new pipe or by reinforcing the damaged area with an external steel sleeve. Unfortunately, these conventional repair methods are both labor- and money-intensive. Thus it is imperative to advance a new method for accelerating the repair of pipeline damages. Recently, the use of polymer composite overwrap system as an alternative for repair of pipeline damages has been receiving increasing attention and have achieved great improvements in time, cost, and performance efficiency. In this chapter, we first outline the reinforced composite system manufacturing approaches in pipeline repair and then highlight ASME standard for pipeline repairs via the polymer composite overwrap system. Then, the current research status is reviewed with regard to application steps of finite element analysis and the appraisal of fiber reinforcement, resin, and infill material deployed in the design of polymer composite overwrap systems was done using illustrative examples with glass/epoxy, glass/vinyl ester, carbon/epoxy, carbon/vinyl ester, aramid/epoxy, aramid/vinyl ester, glass/polyester, glass/phenolic, carbon/polyester, carbon/phenolic, aramid/polyester, and aramid/phenolic composites. Furthermore, quasi-static indentation testing, ballistic impact penetration, and perforation were reviewed. Finally, we discussed various limitations of the polymer composite overwrap system, identified gaps in literature, and forecasted potential directions of future research.
Analysis of the adhesive thickness effect on failure pressure of metal/composite hybrid joints in pressurized blister tests
2023, International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives
Citation Excerpt :
The pipes are generally made of steel oftentimes special and they are considered an exceptional way to transport fluids for having high efficiency and low transportation cost [1]. Piping systems are often subjected to corrosion due to the facts of generally being installed in coastal regions, on land, under the ground or in contact with seawater and as a result of carrying sulfur-containing fluids, therefore they can be subjected to severe corrosion conditions [2,3]. This is the main factor in the generation of internal and external failures in pipelines [3].
Composite repairs are increasingly being used to restore the work capability of pipelines with through-wall defects by corrosion. In this context international standards, such as ISO and ASME are the references to design this kind of repair and to qualify such systems. The referred standards do not take into account the adhesive layer thickness (h) on the model for the calculation of the failure pressure (P_cr), as well as for the calculation of the energy release rate (γ). In this work an experimental investigation evidences the influence of the adhesive thickness on the failure pressure. In order to achieve these results, pressurized blister tests were performed in which the geometrical parameter (h) varied from 0,5 mm to 2,0 mm. Ultimately, an empirical model to calculate P_cr as when the critical energy release rate (γ_LCL) is a function of the adhesive layer thickness was proposed.

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Development and qualification of a new polymeric matrix laminated composite for pipe repair

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Woven fabric

Volumetric percentages of fiber and resin

Defect type A

Defect Type B

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

Int J Pressure Vessel Pip

Compos Part B-Eng

Reinf Plast

Compos Struct

Mater Des

Int J Pressure Vessel Pip

Eng Fail Anal

Compos Part B-Eng

Compos Sci Technol

Compos Sci Technol

Compos Sci Technol

Compos Struct

Mater Des

Mater Des

Eng Fract Mech

Oil and gas pipeline fundamentals