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OMAE2013
June 9-14, 2013, Nantes, France
OMAE2013-10899
Marco Figoni
Sudheer Chand
ABSTRACT
NOMENCLATURE
The following nomenclature is used in this work:
EIC
M2MS
NDT
CAT
FEA
SCR
DTD
RFC
HAZ
MCI
CONNECTION SEALS
The choice of a connector depends on the type of riser/jumpers
utilized (flexible or rigid), riser configuration (e.g. catenary,
lazy, steep, compliant, free standing), metocean conditions,
support vessel type and the properties of fluid/chemicals
transported inside the riser with regard to type, pressure and
temperature.
During its life expectancy, a connector can be subjected to the
following:
-
Fabrication procedures
Properties (i.e. chemical, physical, electrical and
mechanical)
Internal and external fluid properties including
temperature
Environmental loadings
Installation methods and procedure
Weight requirement
Weldability (only for metallurgical connections).
METALLURGICAL CONNECTIONS
Metallurgical connections for risers and connectors are mostly
circumferential butt welds, and they can be present on
mechanical and hybrid connections. In general, welders and
welding procedures are qualified according ASME Boiler and
Pressure Vessel Code Section IX [6], API STD 1101 [7].
The welding process can introduce tensile residual stresses in
weld material and on the heat-affected zone (HAZ) through the
thermal loading itself or by hydrogen diffusion at high
temperatures. Residual stress depends on several factors like
the structural restraint, wall thickness over diameter ratio, the
heat input, the number of weld passes and weld pass sequence.
Proper evaluation of such stress fields and remedial actions are
always needed. There are controversial studies regarding the
interaction between residual stresses on welded joints and
fatigue loads, but it is a common opinion that tensile residual
stresses, when present, are deleterious for the systems in
particular when the material is in contact with a corrosive
environment [8]. In some cases, even without a corrosive
environment, hydrogen diffusion itself promotes tensile
stresses and a loss of metal strength and ductility. Another
important aspect of welded connections is the influence of
environment temperature that, on the weld area and HAZ,
could fall below a critical point when the mechanism of failure
changes from ductile to brittle. The welding procedure
specification must contain details regarding the following:
-
MECHANICAL CONNECTIONS
The seal of mechanical connections is based on a metal-tometal contact of two static mating surfaces. The sealing
applications, including the metal seals, are considered static
due to the fact that, even if they have fluid movement, the
design does not contemplate a relative motion between sealing
surfaces after assembly.
A M2MS is accomplished through the application of a force,
commonly called preload, to the mating surfaces generating
the required strain energy in the seal. The preload can be
applied using three main sealing systems:
-
Bolts
Clamps
Threads.
Due to the fact that the oil industry, in particular for the
offshore environment, is always looking to improve equipment
performance by introducing new technologies, the methods
used to design and test a specific system must follow
recognized standards, but not necessarily related to the oil and
gas industry if the technology employed is derived from other
sectors where specific standards have already been recognized.
Some of the actual standards for mechanical connections
include ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII
[9], ASME B16.5 [10], ASME B31.3 [11], API RP 17G [12],
API 6A [13] or equivalent, API RP 2RD [14], ISO 21329 [15],
API 5B [16], API 5CT [17], API 5CRA [18] and API RP 5C5
[19].
Once a specific sealing method is selected, the following must
be considered:
-
Precise machining
Metal hardness control
Coating and heat treatment
Plastic deformation control
Sweet and sour environment assessment.
HYBRID CONNECTIONS
Hybrid connectors can be defined as connectors
characterized by the coexistence of metallic and polymeric
CONCLUSIONS
The effects of environment, stresses applied and the
material composition are the main factors influencing
connector reliability. The proper understanding of the
interaction between these parameters helps for an appropriate
connector selection. In offshore environment, EIC is the most
common example of such kind of interaction and can lead to
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank ABS Corporate
Managers, for their constant support during the project and
helpful insights during peer review of this paper.
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REFERENCES
1. Sparks, C.P., The Influence of Tension, Pressure and
Weight on Pipe and Riser Deformations and Stresses,
ASME transaction vol. 106, pp. 46-54, 1984.
2. wiek J., Prevention methods against hydrogen
degradation of steel, Journal of Achievements in
Materials and Manufacturing Engineering 43 (2010)
214-221.
3. Russell D. Kane, at al., Low Stress Connection
Design versus Environmental Cracking in Corrosive
Well Service Conditions, NACE C2012-0001593
4. Pellini W. S. et al., Fracture Analysis Diagram
Procedures for the Fracture-Safe Engineering Design
of Steel Structures, NRL Report 5920, Naval
Research Laboratory, 1963.
5. SSC-409, Guide to Damage Tolerant Analysis of
Marine Structures
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