Pipes Fracture Simulation and Changes of Wall Thickness Variation under Internal Pressure

摘要

Computer simulation of the expanding internal pressure was performed for pipes made of steel and aluminum alloy and having uneven wall thickness. For this simulation the software tool ESI Virtual-Performance 2016.0 was used that implements the finite element method. The convergence and accuracy of the solution were estimated by comparison with known solutions. A full factorial computational experiment was performed by varying factors: the initial wall thickness variation of pipes, D/S and the parameter of alloys hardening. The regression equations were obtained by the internal pressure at the time of the destruction and the final wall thickness variation from these factors. It was found that the variation in the wall thickness in the distribution pipe rupture occurs in the thin wall. A wall with a minimum thickness continues thinning with an almost constant maximum wall thickness which leads to increase in the wall thickness transverse variation. It was concluded that the increase of the initial variation in the pipe wall thickness speeds up the process of rupture in the area of the thin wall. It is recommended for conduits conducting high-pressure fluid to apply pipes with the wall thickness minimal variation.