Strength and leakage finite element analysis of a GFRP flange joint

摘要

The strength and leakage analysis of a glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) modified stub flanged joint is presented. The analysis is carried out using three-dimensional and axisymmetric finite elements. To model the GFRP material, we use anorthotropic material model. To model the loss of contact between the flange and the gasket, we use a contact condition between these mating parts. In the axisymmetric case, we allow fluid to penetrate the area where contact is lost; the three-dimensionalcontact formulation, however, does not support this fluid penetration option. We use a commercial finite element package (ABAQUS) to perform the analysis. The primary emphasis is on assessing the strength of the flange and the leak tightness of thegasket. Bolt interaction is not considered, therefore we assume a constant bolt load over the history of the analyses.