Fitness for Service of Damaged Oil Pipeline Using Finite Element Analysis

By Dhananjay H. Rawal, Director at Systech Consultancy Services. This article appears in the May/June 2018 issue of Inspectioneering Journal.

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Introduction

A leading oil company needed to evaluate the implications of a damaged portion of an NPS12 aboveground lube oil pipeline between a refinery and lube oil plant. Most of this pipeline was running parallel to a public access road, which did not have a safety barrier. This pipeline was damaged (dented) at two locations on an expansion loop due to accidental impact by a heavy duty commercial vehicle. Furthermore, this pipeline required pigging for its operation.

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was used to estimate the membrane strain in the dented regions and to determine whether the damaged pipeline was fit for continued service.

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About the Authors

Dhananjay H. Rawal, Director at Systech Consultancy Services

Mr. Dhananjay H. Rawal received M.E from University of Bombay and has M.S from Carnegie-Mellon University in Mechanical Engineering and is Member of ASME. He heads Systech Consultancy Services which provides Engineering Services using FEA for Plant Design, FFT, AIV,FIV, Pulsation, Vibration. He has publication in ASME,... Read more »

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