Sealing Performance and Optimization of a Subsea Pipeline Mechanical Connector

• Published in: Chinese journal of mechanical engineering 2018-12, Vol.31 (1), p.133-146, Article 18
• Main Authors: Wang, Li-Quan, Wei, Zong-Liang, Yao, Shao-Ming, Guan, Yu, Li, Shao-Kai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bending moments; Connectors; Contact pressure; Design optimization; Electrical Machines and Networks; Electronics and Microelectronics; Engineering; Engineering Thermodynamics; Finite element method; Gas pipelines; Heat and Mass Transfer; Instrumentation; Machines; Manufacturing; Mean; Mechanical Engineering; Natural gas; Ocean Engineering Equipment; Optimization; Original Article; Power Electronics; Processes; Sealing; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Underwater pipelines; Underwater structures; Water pressure
• ISSN: 1000-9345; 2192-8258
• DOI: 10.1186/s10033-018-0209-6

Researchers seldom study the optimum design of a mechanical connector for subsea oil-gas pipeline based upon the sealing performance. An optimal design method of a novel subsea pipeline mechanical connector is presented. By analyzing the static metal sealing mechanism, the critical condition of the sealing performance is established for this connector and the formulation method of the contact pressure on the sealing surface is created. By the method the minimum mean contact pressure of the 8.625 inch connector is calculated as 361 MPa, which is the constraint condition in the optimum design of connector. The finite element model is created in ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) and the structure is optimized by the zero-order method, with variance of contact pressure as the objective function, and mean contact pressures and plastic strains as constraint variables. The optimization shows that variances of contact pressure on two sealing surfaces decrease by 72.41% and 89.33%, respectively, and mean contact pressures increase by 31.18% and 52.84%, respectively. The comparison of the optimal connectors and non-optimal connectors in the water pressure experiments and bending experiments shows that the sealing ability of optimized connectors is much higher than the rated pressure of 4.5 MPa, and the optimal connectors don’t leak under the bending moment of 52.2 kN·m. This research provides the formulation to solve contact pressure on the sealing surface and a structure optimization method to design the connectors with various dimensions.