CHOICE OF OPTIMAL DESIGN OF EXPANSION JOINT IN CONSTRUCTION OF ABOVEGROUND LINEAR SECTION OF OIL PIPELINE

Abstract

The relevance of the research is conditioned by a decrease in specific amount of metal of aboveground linear section of heated oil transportation pipeline and reduction of its operational cost depending on the choice of expansion joint design. Goal: to determine an optimal design of expansion joint of the pipeline aboveground linear section of oil pipeline taking into account the effect of temperature parameters of pumped medium under condition of saving productive resources. Objects: hot oil pipeline, U-, S-shaped, tapered, ring expansion joints. Methods: modelling of the aboveground pipeline section located in cryolitic zone using the method of finite element method integrated into ANSYS Workbench and comparative analysis of the functions obtained to choose the optimal engineering solution. Results. Strength analysis of different designs of expansion units has shown that the maximum stress and displacements take place due to the changes in condition of oil pumping. The results of the data obtained were taken as a basis for choice of optimal geometric sizes of expansion joints taken into consideration in construction of the aboveground pipeline section of a given length. The technological parameters of linear section of oil pipeline portion were calculated with respect to occupied area that directly influencing the square of the research object. For different expansion joints there are various rates of hydraulic losses explained by energy expenditure of oil pumping operator. Comparative analysis of cost effectiveness allowed considering arch-shaped expansion joints as a perspective construction taking into account the strategic tasks of energy efficiency and environmental protection in the Arctic zone.

Keywords

• pipeline
• heated pumping
• aboveground section
• expansion joint
• stress-deformed state
• specific amount of metal
• hydraulic losses
• energy expenditure
• cost effectiveness