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Development of Testing Facility to Investigate GRE Pipes Behavior in Harsh

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Conference Paper · September 2015

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 10th International Conference on Composite Science and Technology
ICCST/10
A.L. Araújo, J.R. Correia, C.M. Mota Soares, et al. (Editors)

© IDMEC 2015

DEVELOPMENT OF TESTING FACILITY TO INVESTIGATE GRE

PIPES BEHAVIOR IN HARSH ENVIRONMENT

Edris Hassan*, Jamil Abdo*

*
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
College of Engineering
Sultan Qaboos Unveristy
123 Al-Khoud, Muscat
Oman
edris@squ.edu.om
jdabdo@squ.edu.om

Key words: Glass Reinforced Epoxy, High Pressure, High Temperature, Harsh Environment,
Mechanical Behaviour

ABSTRACT
Oil and gas transmission pipes are made from metal or plastic tubes with inner
diameters range from 4 to 48 inches (100 to 1,200 mm). Although carbon steel pipelines have
been traditionally used in Oman, advanced composites are also introduced on limited scales.
In Oman, the analysis of oil and gas pipelines failure that has been performed since 2007 has
shown a relatively high incident of failure rate with carbon steel pipelines. A large percentage
of the incidents involved were classified as pipe corrosion failure due to the harsh and
corrosive environments (including high percentage of Hydrogen sulfide, H2S). In this work,
an in-house testing facility under controlled conditions has been developed in order to
perform design verifications for the GRE pipes that will be used in oil and gas transmission
lines in Oman according to the ASTM and ISO Standards. Two pipes are placed in an oven at
a temperature of 65oC and internal pressure of 130 Bars. One pipe contains water and the
other crude oil with different H2S concentrations (100 ppm, 300 ppm and 1000 ppm). The
pipe has been left for a period of 1000 hours and will be taken for mechanical and material
testing to assure performance and the relevant pipes design specifications.

1. INTRODUCTION
In comparing composites to steel pipes, there are a number of areas where composites
are superior. It must be noted that currently, cost of composite pipe is higher on all fronts.
Composites are produced, however, on life cycle cost assessment and maintenance
advantages. Comparing relative flexural strengths, composites are significantly more flexible
and lighter than steel. In fact, when strength-to-weight ratios are examined, composites can
be much “stronger” than steel [1]. Other properties include easy installation, high durability
and low maintenance and life cycle costs make them more desirable than conventional pipes.
Composite are highly resistant to many corrosive chemicals and compounds, including H2S.
 Edris Hassan, Jamil Abdo

A wide variety of applications has arisen that demand the use of chemical-resistant resins. By
selecting from a range of resin chemistries, the specifying one can achieve the most cost-
effective composites [2, 3]. Due to their attractive physical and mechanical properties GRE
pipes have been successfully used in oil and gas this industry. A chemical composition
analysis and properties of composite materials was outlined in [4]. The experimental work in
this study has proposed that composite material is a sustrainable choice in oilfield
applications. These are all highly dependent on the types of resin used, volume fraction of the
reinforcement and its orientations [5].

The current procedure of qualifying GRE pipes in oil and gas applications is based on
linear extrapolation method. It provides very good predictions of the long term behaviour of
the pipes. This can be done by extrapolating the lower confidence limit from the regression
line to rate for a design life time of 20 years [6].The in-house experimental setup proposed in
this research study adopts a 1000 hrs. Short-term Survival Test based on ASTM D-2992 [7].
The test would predict the long term bahaviour of these pipes under such complex loading
and, in particular, adverse environmental conditions. Particularly under multiaxial loadings
involve combinations of hoop and axial loads as a result of high internal pressure and harsh
chemicals (Hydrogen Sulphide, H2S and Carbon Dioxide, CO2). Sulphur mixed with water
deep underground in the presence of heat and over thousands of years produces Hydrogen
Sulphide (H2S). It is a highly corrosive, and of course, deadly poisonous gas. Oil with H2S
content more than 500 ppm (part/million) in the gaseous state at atmospheric pressure is
classified as ‘sour’. In Oman, sour oil and gas is mostly concentrated in the southern oil
fields. Also, chemicals such as CO2 are continuously injected into the oil reservoir in enhance
oil recovery process for about 20 years. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the chemical
compatibility of these non-metallic materials in different environments. That is whether GRE
pipes will survive the exposure to the given chemicals or not. One can collect extensive data
from current experimental work, collate it, interpret it, and, eventually, manipulate it into a
form with design curves.

Failure in oil and gas transmission lines during service is extremely serious. A large
percentage of failure incidents in steel pipelines have been classified as pipe mechanical
construction damage, corrosion failure and mechanical valve/fitting failures. Most of these
steel pipelines have reached their limit life cycle of 20 years and the replacement of these
pipes become very essential. The present work would offer GRE pipe as an alternative to the
carbon steel pipes. Depending on their particular structural make-up, other important
properties of composite materials include high corrosion and wear resistance, low thermal
conductivity and thermal expansion. These distinctive characteristics provide design
opportunities not possible with conventional monolithic metals. Consequently, unprecedented
mechanical and physical properties can be tailored to meet the requirements of a particular
application. However, difficulties are present when it comes to using composite pipelines.
Such difficulties are primarily related to the lack of test data to support the materials' long-
term behaviour and durability. The performance of the non-metallic materials (GRE) will be
evaluated by investigating the mechanical properties, micro and macro cracks formation on
the specimens after they are immerse in a mixture with the right concentration at a
temperature of ~650C and a pressure of 130 Bar for a period of 1000 hours. A dedicated in-
house test rig for GRE pipes has been developed with enhanced capacity of handling
corrosive environment, i.e., the presence of H2S and CO2.

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 Edris Hassan, Jamil Abdo

2. GLASS REINFORCED EPOXY PIPES

Helical Filament winding technique is used to manufacture GRE pipes. It is an
automated open molding process. A continuous strand roving is pulled from a series of creels
and passed through a resin bath before being wound onto a rotating mandrel in a variety of
orientations, controlled by the fiber feeding mechanism and the winding speed of the mandrel
to create the desired winding angle pattern and layup thickness [8].
Three GRE pipes were designed and manufactured with the following dimensions:
250-mm diameter, and 2.5-meter length. A thickness of 12-mm was identified to satisfy
proposed design requirements, i.e., pressure class, temperature, leakage free and sustain the
operating level of different of H2S concentrations. ISO 14692 Standard has been adopted.
The Standard describes how to qualify and manufacture GRE pipe and fittings [9]. A
conventional automated helical winding machine is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Helical filamnet winding used in Composite Pipes Industries (CPI) Oman

The orintation in helical filament winding comes with winding angle of ±55° as
shown in Figure 2. This is the best orientation since the maximum allowable stress is aligned
along the direction of the reinforements. Helical filament winding is process that produces
high reinforcement content and thus leads to GRE pipes with excellent mechanical
properties. After the desired architecture of the reinforcement has been achieved, the part is
cured and removed from the mandrel.

Figure 2: A GRE pipe used in this study with a winding angle of ±55°.

3
 Edris Hassan, Jamil Abdo

The advantages of helical filament winding are, on one hand, the capability to
automate the process and, on the other hand, the fact that the structural properties of the final
product can be significantly tailored since the filament can be laid down in a complex pattern
to match the strength-performance requirements [10]. In addition, this fabrication process can
be used with both thermosetting and thermoplastic resins to provide excellent dimensional
control and a high degree of uniformity and repeatability of the filament. The wall structures
for the GRE pipes used in this worok are shown in Figure 3. Generally; the higher the
pressure class, the greater the wall thickness of the pipe will be [11]. The wall structural used
to manufacturing the three GRE pipes is given in Figure 3. It is considered during design and
fabrication of the pipes to guarantee optimum working conditions under internal pressurized
loading, high temperature and resistance of aggressive mixture of chemicals. The structural
bulidup of the pipes wall is given in Table 1.

Figure 3: GRE pipe wall structures

Resin Glass
0.3 mm Exterior Layer 100% 0% Epoxy
Structural Wall ~ 25% ~ 75% Epoxy + E-glass
0.5 mm Internal Layer ~ 90% ~ 10% Epoxy + C-glass
Table 1: Structural Wall Build-up

The wall structural thickness of the pipe contributes to the overall stiffness of pipes.
In this experimental work, the pipes were subjected to internal pressure of 130 Bars,
temperature effect of 65oC and adverse and corrosive H2S. However, during installation the
pipes are buried and subjected to transverse loadings. Hence, the wall is built up to resist such
type of loadings. A ring deflection (Split-desk) test of a specimen of the GRE pipes is
considered to determine stiffness and resistance to structural damage to ensure that the pipes
meet specified design constraints. This test will be illustrated and discussed in subsequent
sections.

3. END-FITTING DESIGN
To conduct proper testing, which involves static pressurization of the GRE pipe, it is
imperative to design an end-fitting suitable for the task. With such a “closed-end” test setup,
the internal pressure caused by the pump is transferred to the pipe. Hence, a strong joint
between the pipe end and the fittings is essential. End-fittings have been designed and
customized for the test setup. The design of mechanical end-fitting flanges is shown in
Figures 4 and 5 respectively The end-fitting contains loose-flange that can be split into two

4
 Edris Hassan, Jamil Abdo

halves and blind flanges. Threaded holes on the blind flanges are used to attach pressure and
temperutre gauges and valves. Carbon steel flanges are reliable for such type of closed-end
test rig.

Figure 4: 2D drawing of the GRE pipes with end-fitting

Figure 5: Detailed 2D drawings of the loose and blind flanges

4. THERMAL ENCLOSURE UNIT

Since elevated temperature performance is of a major interest in this study, a special
custom-made thermal enclosure was designed and fabricated. It was specifically designed to
enable the testing of pipe at temperatures up to 90°C and maintaining the test temperatures
with a maximum variation of 3°C for 1000 hrs. The thermal enclosure unit is shown in Figure
6.
Heater &
Blower

Oven

Figure 6: Thermal enclosure

5
 Edris Hassan, Jamil Abdo

The unit was designed so that the heater and the blower were separated from the oven
space and placed at the back of the oven to achieve much better and more uniform control of
test temperature, as well as to avoid any possible damage to the side of the wall during testing
which would halt the operation of the oven. The closure was constructed with three holes to
provide access for pressure tubing, temperature gage and instrumentation wiring. A
photograph of the heater and the blower is given Figure 7.

Temperature
Controller

Heater &
Blower

Figure 7: Heater and blower with temperature controller and switches

5. PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM
The pressure system was designed so that it could facilitate a maximum working
pressure up to 130 Bars. The second GRE pipe ready to be placed into the thermal enclosure
is shown in Figure 8. The end-fittings were fixed at each end of the test specimen with bolted
joints for tests at 65°C. GRE pipes used for high pressure and high temperature are wound
with reinforcemnts angled helically at ±θ° to the axial load of the mandrel. The strength and
stiffness of a composite buildup depends on the orientation sequence of the reinforcements.
In this experimental study the pipes were produced at ±55° angles.

Figure 8: GRE pipe with end-flanges

6
 Edris Hassan, Jamil Abdo

The pipe was then pressurized to create pressure class that tends to generate a state of
complex hoop-to-axial loading conditions. This was achieved by using a differential pump
driven by an air compressor via a ball valve, see Figure 9. The pump flow rate is managed by
using a pressure regulator installed in the compressed air inlet to the pump. The pressure
loading was controlled manually by the opening and closing of the unloading valve. During
pressurizing, the valve was kept closed. Once the pressure required was reached and held for
the required amount of time (1000 hrs.), the pressure was released by opening the unloading
valve. It was noted that a drop in pressure in the pipe occurred almost immediately when the
valve was opened. The short-term survival test procedure is based on ASTM D-2992 and
ASME 1598 [12].

Figure 9: Differential pump

6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Three GRE pipes have been designed and fabricated at Composite Pipes Industry of
Oman. The first pipe is shown in Figure 2. This pipe has been used as a reference pipe to
collect some useful benchmarking information on the pipes mechanical properties such as
maximum applied force, maximum stresses in longitudinal and circumferential direction.
Preliminary set of tensile testing and split disk testing have been performed on specimens
taking from this pipe, as shown in Figures 10 (a), (b) and Figures 11 (a), (b). In Figure 11,
tubular specimens for split disk test were cut from the 2.5 m length pipe. The mechanical
testing was carried out on a 150 kN Dartec hydraulic test frame.

(a) (b)

Figure 10: Benchmark pipe speciemns prepared for tensile testing of with (a) Axial, (b)
Transverse starin gages

7
 Edris Hassan, Jamil Abdo

Results produced from tensile test and split-disk test appear to provide an efficient
means to assess performance of second and third pipes in such harsh environment. The
second GRE pipe has been subjected to high pressure 130 Bars and high temperature 650C
conditions since April 20, 2015. The proposed test is taking 1000 hrs. The effect of elevated
temperature and high pressure on the integrity and the long term durability of the pipes has
been undertaken. The procedure for determining the strength of the GRE pipes under such
conditions is based on ASTM Standard D-2992. Whereas, the influence of harsh chemicals
such as H2S and CO2 on the reinforcements will be investigated thoroughly using the third
GRE pipe. The controlled chemical condition is very close to realistic situations. The third
pipe contains crude oil with different concentrations of H2S (100 ppm, 300 ppm and 1000
ppm).

(a) (b)
Figure 11: Specimen for Split-disk test (a) with starin gages attached axially and
circumferentially, (b) Split-disk speciemn with fixtures

Failed tensile test and split-disk speciemns illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 indicate
failure mechanism which is often characterized by complex combinations of reinforcement
and resin failures.

Figure 12: Failed tensile test specimen

8
 Edris Hassan, Jamil Abdo

The tensile test specimen and the split-disk specimen were loaded beyond the onset of
the original failure. This prompted large deformation and damage into the original failure.
Observations taken during testing as well as the characteristics of the failed specimens have
shown that cracks started along the ring axis; in particular, in split-disk specimen followed by
a rupture in the GRE ring wall where the reinforcements started to tear and creates an
opening in the structural wall of the specimen as shown in Figure 13. A subsequent
experimental work is undertaken to understand the onset of failure and the failure mechanism
as a result of the interaction of high pressure, high temperature in the presence of chemicals
compounds.

Figure 13: Failed split-disk specimen

7. CONCLUSIONS
This work concerned with developing an in-house testing facility that is capable to
simulate the conditions required to perform design verification for GRE pipes according to
ASTM and ISO standards. In addition, this facility has the capability to investigate the effects
of other harsh conditions, mainly, the effects of H2S and CO2 on the GRE pipes. Two similar
pipes are placed in a thermal enclosure unit at a temperature of 65oC and internal pressure of
130 Bars. One pipe contains water and the other crude oil with different H2S concentrations
(100 ppm, 300 ppm and 1000 ppm). The pipe has been left for a period of 1000 hours and
will be taken for mechanical and material testing to assure performance and the relevant
pipes design specifications. A third similar pipe was selected to be a reference to collect some
useful benchmarking information on the pipes mechanical properties such as maximum
applied force, maximum stresses in longitudinal and circumferential direction. Preliminary
set of tensile testing and split disk testing have been performed on specimens taking from the
reference pipe and results will be used to compare its mechanical responses with the other
two pipes subjected to the 1000 hours test.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors acknowledge the finiancal support received form The Research Council of Oman
and the support of Composite Pipes Industries, Oman.

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 Edris Hassan, Jamil Abdo

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[4] M.E. Hossain, The current and future trends of composite materials: an experimental
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[6] Future Pipes Industires, Engineering Guide for Wavistrong Filament Wound Epoxy
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[7] ASTM D-2992, Standard practice for obtaining hydrostatic or pressure design basis
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[8] P.K. Mallick, Fiber-Reinforced Composites: Materials, Manufacturing and Design,
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[9] ISO 14692 Standard, Parts 1-4, International Standards Organization, 2002.
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