Gasketed flange joints are widely used in pressure vessels and piping systems. They are subjected to bending load due to differential thermal expansion, wind load, self-weight, etc., in addition to assembly and internal fluid load. Most of the flange designs are based on equivalent pressure method to include the effect of external bending loads. The behavior of gasketed flange joint is complex due to the nonlinear hysteretic behavior of gasket material and contact interfaces between joint members. It becomes more complex when the joint is subjected to bending load at elevated temperatures. In the present work, performance of a flange joint has been studied under internal pressure and external bending load at elevated temperatures. A 3D finite element model is developed, considering the nonlinearities in the joint due to gasket material and contact between its members along with their temperature-dependent material properties. The performance of joint under different bolt preloads, internal fluid pressures, and temperatures is studied. Flange joint with two gaskets (twin-gasketed flange joint, TGJ) placed concentric is also analyzed. The results from finite element analysis (FEA) are validated using four-point bending test on gasketed flange joint. The sealing and strength criteria are considered to determine the maximum allowable bending moment at different internal fluid temperatures, for both single- and twin-gasketed flange joints with spiral wound gasket. Twin gasket is able to withstand higher bending moment without leakage compared to single gasket. Results show that the allowable load on flange joint depends on operating temperature and gasket configuration.

References

1.
Rino Nelson
,
N.
,
Siva Prasad
,
N.
, and
Sekhar
,
A. S.
,
2016
, “
Effect of Thermal Loading on Sealing Behavior of Single and Twin-Gasketed Flange Joint
,”
Proc. IMechE, Part E
,
230
(
6
), pp.
464
473
.
2.
Bouzid
,
A. H.
,
2009
, “
On the Effect of External Bending Loads in Bolted Flange Joints
,”
ASME J. Pressure Vessel Technol.
,
131
(2), p.
021201
.
3.
Dekker
,
C. J.
, and
Brink
,
H. J.
,
2002
, “
External Flange Loads and ‘Koves'-Method
,”
Int. J. Pressure Vessels Piping
,
79
(
2
), pp.
145
155
.
4.
Wang
,
Y. Q.
,
Zong
,
L.
, and
Shi
,
Y. J.
,
2013
, “
Bending Behavior and Design Model of Bolted Flange–Plate Connection
,”
J. Constr. Steel Res.
,
84
, pp.
1
16
.
5.
Mathan
,
G.
, and
Siva Prasad
,
N.
,
2011
, “
Studies on Gasketed Flange Joints Under Bending With Anisotropic Hill Plasticity Model for Gasket
,”
Int. J. Pressure Vessel Piping
,
88
(11–12), pp.
495
500
.
6.
Wu
,
Z.
,
Nassar
,
S. A.
, and
Yang
,
X.
,
2014
, “
Nonlinear Deformation Behavior of Bolted Flanges Under Tensile, Torsional, and Bending Loads
,”
ASME J. Pressure Vessel Technol.
,
136
(
6
), p.
061201
.
7.
Sawa
,
T.
,
Takagi
,
Y.
,
Sata
,
K.
,
Omiya
,
Y.
, and
Doi
,
H.
,
2012
, “
Effects of Scattered Bolt Preload on the Sealing Performance of Pipe Flange Connection With Gaskets Under External Bending Moment and Internal Pressure
,”
ASME
Paper No. PVP2012-78411.
8.
Abid
,
M.
, and
Nash
,
D. H.
,
2009
, “
Stamina of a Nongasketed Flange Joint Under Combined Internal Pressure, Axial, and Bending Loading: An Experimental Study
,”
ASME J. Pressure Vessel Technol.
,
131
(
3
), p.
031203
.
9.
Seipp
,
T. G.
,
Reichert
,
C.
, and
Messer
,
B.
,
2007
, “
Bolted Flange Joints Under External Moments: An Analysis Using the Compound Gasket Approach for Spiral Wound Gaskets
,”
ASME
Paper No. PVP2007-26841.
10.
Rino Nelson
,
N.
,
Siva Prasad
,
N.
, and
Sekhar
,
A. S.
,
2015
, “
Finite Element Analysis of Flange Joint With Single and Twin Gaskets Under External Bending Load
,”
ASME
Paper No. PVP2015-45492.
11.
ASME
,
2015
, “
BPVC Section II-Materials-Part D-Properties-(Metric)
,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York, Standard No.
BPVC-IID-2015
.
12.
Kaw
,
A. K.
,
2006
,
Mechanics of Composite Materials
, 2nd ed.,
CRC Press
,
Boca Raton, FL
.
13.
ANSYS
,
2012
, “
ANSYS Mechanical APDL Element Reference
,” ANSYS, Canonsburg, PA.
14.
Salerno
,
L. J.
, and
Kittel
,
P.
,
1997
, “
Thermal Contact Conductance
,” NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA.
15.
ASME
,
2015
, “
BPVC Section VIII-Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels Division 1
,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York, Standard No.
BPVC-VIII-1-2015
.
16.
ASTM
,
2000
, “
Standard Test Method for Hydrostatic Leak Testing
,” American Society for Testing Materials, West Conshohocken, PA, Standard No.
ASTM E1003-95
.
You do not currently have access to this content.