The Effect of Heavy-Duty Vehicle Crossings on the State of Stress of Buried Pipelines

The aim of this article is to quantify the loads exerted by heavy-duty vehicles when crossing over buried pipeline. This problem arises in connection to the question pertaining to the use of protective sleeves (casings) applied to gas pipelines in regions with increased demands on pipeline operation safety. An experiment was conducted on a test pipe section made from L360NE pipeline steel equipped with strain gauges along the pipe perimeter, measuring strains in the axial and circumferential directions. Strain measurements were taken after back-filling the pipe trench, then during vehicle crossings over the empty pipe, and again after pressurizing the test pipe with air. Strain-based hoop stresses at the surface of the empty test pipe were found to exceed 30 MPa after back-filling the trench and increased to more than 40 MPa during the vehicle crossings. Similarly, axial stresses reached extremes of around 17 MPa in compression and 12 MPa in tension. Applying internal air pressure to the test pipe resulted in a reduced net effect on both the hoop and axial stresses.

Study on Distribution Characteristics of Metro Stray Current and Evaluation of Cumulative Corrosion Effect

Stray current directly affects the regular operation of electrical equipment and facilities in the subway DC traction power supply system. Therefore, it is worthwhile to study the stray current distribution characteristics during train operation and the quantitative corrosion of buried pipelines. This paper introduces the traction characteristics of power carriages and power wheelsets of subway vehicles into the DC traction process. A finite element model considering the dynamic distribution of stray current under the actual operation of subway vehicles is established. The interference characteristics of stray current and the contribution of power sources under the multiparticle model are analyzed. The rail insulation damage caused by long service time and the quantitative calculation of rail and buried pipeline corrosion is considered. The model results show that the stray current in the buried pipeline under the multiparticle model is more accurate and more suitable for the protection in the actual subway. The quantitative corrosion of the buried pipeline is stronger than the partial insulation damage environment when the rail is not insulated. The rail and buried pipeline corrosion at both ends of the insulation damage position is relatively severe. The stray current distribution model established in this paper gives full play to the solution advantages of the finite element method and provides a new idea for the quantitative calculation of buried pipeline corrosion.

Analysis and Evaluation on Residual Strength of Pipelines with Internal Corrosion Defects in Seasonal Frozen Soil Region

In order to study the residual strength of buried pipelines with internal corrosion defects in seasonally frozen soil regions, we established a thermo-mechanical coupling model of a buried pipeline under differential frost heave by using the finite element elastoplastic analysis method. The material nonlinearity and geometric nonlinearity were considered as the basis of analysis. Firstly, the location of the maximum Mises equivalent stress in the inner wall of the buried non-corroded pipeline was determined. Furthermore, the residual strength of the buried pipeline with corrosion defects and the stress state of internal corrosion area in the pipeline under different defect parameters was analyzed by the orthogonal design method. Based on the data results of the finite element simulation calculation, the prediction formula of residual strength of buried pipelines with internal corrosion defects was obtained by SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) fitting. The prediction results were analyzed in comparison with the evaluation results of B31G, DNV RP-F101 and the experimental data of hydraulic blasting. The rationality of the finite element model and the accuracy of the fitting formula were verified. The results show that the effect degree of main factors on residual strength was in order of corrosion depth, corrosion length, and corrosion width. when the corrosion length exceeds 600 mm, which affects the influence degree of residual strength will gradually decrease. the prediction error of the fitting formula is small and the distribution is uniform, it can meet the prediction requirements of failure pressure of buried pipelines with internal corrosion defects in seasonally frozen soil regions. This method may provide some useful theoretical reference for the simulation real-time monitoring and safety analysis in the pipeline operation stage.

Gas Distribution Mechanism in Goaf during Combined Drainage of Upper Corner Buried Pipeline and Intubation for Thick Coal Seams

The prevention of gas overrun in the panel is one of the key issues on green mining. In this paper, a physical goaf model was established based on the geological production conditions of a coal seam in a coal mine in Henan Province, and the combined drainage technology by burying and spilling pipeline in the upper corner was proposed. The Fluent software was used to simulate the changes of gas mass fraction and flow field distribution when the gas is extracted from the goaf without the gas pipeline, with a single buried pipeline, and with the combination of buried and spilled pipelines. Analysis and simulation showed that in the absence of drainage pipelines, the gas concentrations in both the return airway and the upper corner are up to 1.2%, which failed to meet the gas prevention and control standard on the mine. In the case of gas drainage with a single buried pipeline, the average gas concentration in the return airway was 0.7%, and only the gas concentration in the upper corner was up to 1.1%, which failed to meet the gas control standards on the mine’s panel. However, the maximum gas concentration in the combined drainage was reduced from 1.1% to 0.6%, which indicates that the technology can greatly reduce gas concentration, but there is still a gap from the mine’s gas control standard. Therefore, the impacts of the lengths of pipelines buried in different goafs on the gas drainage effect in the goaf were studied, and it was concluded that the reasonable length of pipelines buried in the goaf under the geological conditions was 20 m. This technology not only solves the problem of gas overrun in the panel but also realizes the utilization of gas resources in the goaf. The research results are of guiding significance for pipeline laying and the drainage technology in the upper corners on the U-shaped ventilation panel.

Analysis of pipe axial displacements from a monitored pipeline connected to an operating district heating network

The development of a monitored district heating piping system has allowed the study of axial displacement variations in a buried pipeline. This piping system includes four instrumented sections of piping within an in use district heating network. There are also different conditions under testing such as thickness of expansion cushions, temperature ranges and bedding soil types. The pipe axial displacements were on-line monitored by means of extensometers in six positions along each of the four sections of the pipeline. Measured maximum pipe axial displacements were 24 and 25 mm in the corners of the 41 m long monitored pipelines, while estimated values were 23 mm using current recommendation procedures and 27 mm using calibrated commercial computer programs. One temperature unloading-reloading caused displacements to not return to the same values as before, but around 3 mm smaller. Therefore, several unloading-reloading temperature cycles may affect the pipe deformation behaviour in the short and long term.

Mechanical Behavior of Buried Pipeline Crossing Thaw Settlement Zone

Thaw settlement is one of main reason caused pipeline failure crossing cold region. Mechanical behavior of buried pipeline crossing thaw settlement zone is investigated. Effects of pipeline and soil parameters on the buried pipeline were discussed. The results show that the high stress area and the max axial strain of the pipeline is at the edge of the thaw settlement zone. The upper surface of the pipeline is tensile strain, while the lower surface is compressive strain. The max ovality of pipeline near the edge of thaw settlement zone tends to oval. The pipeline axial strain, ovality and displacement decreases with the increasing of pipeline wall thickness, while the change of high stress area is not obvious. The high stress area and ovality decrease with the increasing of pipeline diameter, while the high stress area is expanded along the axial direction, but axial strain decreases slightly. The high stress area, axial strain, ovality and displacement of pipeline decrease with the buried depth increases. With the internal pressure increases, the stress and axial strain of pipeline increase, but the ovality decreases. The soil`s elasticity modulus has no obvious effect on pipeline`s stress, axial strain and displacement, but it can affect ovality slightly.