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    API FLANGE CAPABILITIES UNDER COMBINATIONS OF LOAD Case Study

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    Elmigdad Omer
    API flanges are commonly used in sub-sea oil and gas installations to transmit bending moments and axial tension. However, calculations often predict capabilities lower than charts suggest. This is due to three factors: 1) weaker materials are sometimes used than required for the flange rating, 2) flanges often have smaller bores than pipes reducing their strength, and 3) stress limits are lower for duplex stainless steel flanges installed sub-sea to prevent cracking. Finite element analysis is recommended to maximize flange capability within these limits.

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    API FLANGE CAPABILITIES UNDER COMBINATIONS OF LOAD Case Study

    Uploaded by

    Elmigdad Omer
    58 views1 page
    API flanges are commonly used in sub-sea oil and gas installations to transmit bending moments and axial tension. However, calculations often predict capabilities lower than charts suggest. This is due to three factors: 1) weaker materials are sometimes used than required for the flange rating, 2) flanges often have smaller bores than pipes reducing their strength, and 3) stress limits are lower for duplex stainless steel flanges installed sub-sea to prevent cracking. Finite element analysis is recommended to maximize flange capability within these limits.

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    API FLANGE CAPABILITIES UNDER COMBINATIONS OF LOAD case study

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    API flanges are commonly used in sub-sea oil and gas installations to transmit bending moments and axial tension. However, calculations often predict capabilities lower than charts suggest. This is due to three factors: 1) weaker materials are sometimes used than required for the flange rating, 2) flanges often have smaller bores than pipes reducing their strength, and 3) stress limits are lower for duplex stainless steel flanges installed sub-sea to prevent cracking. Finite element analysis is recommended to maximize flange capability within these limits.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    58 views1 page

    API FLANGE CAPABILITIES UNDER COMBINATIONS OF LOAD Case Study

    Uploaded by

    Elmigdad Omer
    API flanges are commonly used in sub-sea oil and gas installations to transmit bending moments and axial tension. However, calculations often predict capabilities lower than charts suggest. This is due to three factors: 1) weaker materials are sometimes used than required for the flange rating, 2) flanges often have smaller bores than pipes reducing their strength, and 3) stress limits are lower for duplex stainless steel flanges installed sub-sea to prevent cracking. Finite element analysis is recommended to maximize flange capability within these limits.

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    of 1

    FINGLOW CONSULTANTS LTD................................

    for reliable engineering solutions

    API FLANGE CAPABILITIES UNDER COMBINATIONS OF LOAD

    API 6A (ISO 10423) 6BX flanges are used extensively in high pressure sub-sea oil and gas
    installations. The ability of these flanges to transmit bending moment and axial tension when
    correctly made up is given in the capacity charts provided in API 6AF for service temperatures up
    to 121C, adequate for most services. When carrying out calculations to substantiate the design of
    these flanges FCL are often questioned as to why the predicted capabilities to transmit bending
    moment an axial tension are significantly less than expected based on the charts in API 6AF. This
    case study identifies the principal reasons for this reduction in capability, i.e. material selection, line
    pipe dimensions and cathodic protection of flanges in duplex stainless steels.
    API defines the strength characteristics of materials employed in the flanges based on their tensile
    and yield strength at ambient temperature. Materials are grouped into four strength designations,
    36K, 45K, 60K & 75K and API identifies the strength designation associated with different flange
    ratings. Thus for 5000, 10000 and 15000 psig rated flanges API requires that materials of strength
    designations 45K, 60K and 75K respectively are employed. Materials commonly used in sub-sea
    applications are carbon steels, A694 F52 and F65, as well as duplex and super duplex stainless
    steels A182 F51 and F55. These materials have strength designations of 36K, 45K, 60K and 75K
    respectively. Thus it can be seen that strictly only flanges in super duplex stainless steel are of
    sufficient strength to be used in 15000 psig rated flanges and that A694 F65 can only be used for
    flanges rated at 5000 psig. Use of a weaker material will obviously reduce flange capability.
    API flanges are designed with bores which are
    equal to the nominal flange size and not to be
    matched with standard B36.10 pipe sizes which
    generally results in a flange with a reduced bore.
    Reducing the bore of the flange increases the
    bending moment developed in it and can leads to
    higher stresses and a reduction in capability.
    Flanges in duplex and super duplex stainless steels
    installed sub-sea are susceptible to Hydrogen Induces Stress Cracking (HISC) if afforded cathodic
    protection. To minimise the risk of HISC reduced stress limits are imposed in DNV-RP-F112.
    These limits depend principally on the austenite spacing found in a micrograph of the material and
    the location under consideration with respect to the weld between the flange hub and line pipe. In
    general terms DNV-RP-F112 requires that the membrane plus bending stress is limited to
    approximately two thirds of the material yield strength at temperature. Following rules in ASME
    Section VIII Division 2 Section 4.16 the allowable longitudinal hub stress is equal to the yield
    strength of the material when API stress limits are adopted. The DNV recommended practice
    reduces the allowable stress by one third. It is also necessary to account for the additional bending
    stress at the hub to pipe weld as a result of misalignment, including that which is within the
    tolerance prescribed in the adopted piping code, which will reduce flange capability still further.
    It can therefore be seen that these three factors play a significant part in reducing the capability of
    API flanges below that given in API 6AF, particularly for those in duplex and super duplex
    stainless steels when used sub-sea. While code calculations can be used the use of FE stress
    analysis is recommended to maximise flange capability particularly where stress limits prescribed
    in DNV-RP-F112, which are based on linearised stresses from such analyses, are to be satisfied.

    FINGLOW CONSULTANTS LTD


    Beane Bridge House, 34 Chambers Street, Hertford, SG14 1PL, UK
    Telephone: +44 (0)1992 585450
    Facsimile: +44 (0)1992 585460
    e-mail: [email protected]
    website: www.finglowconsultants.co.uk

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