Numerical Simulation of Submerged Spiral Arc Welding on API X70 Gas Transmission Steel Pipe

Welding residual stresses decrease designing stress in natural gas transmission pipes with large diameter under high internal pressure. The outside diameter and wall thickness of API X70 steel in this research are 1423 and 19.8 millimeter. Hole drilling is the most common technique in order to measure residual stresses. Because of large diameter of this pipe, its transportation to conduct hole drilling test is a big problem so cutting a finite sample is desired. In this study standard dimension of this sample plate is analyzed and simulation of welding process is done from which and residual stresses in different directions are obtained. Residual stresses in the thickness direction is presented for the first time. The results showed separating a finite sample with the size of 320×440 millimeter is appropriate to do hole drilling test. The location and amount of the maximum residual stress is evaluated and compared for both simulation and experimental samples. Variation in hoop and longitudinal residual stresses on both internal and external surfaces of pipe samples are investigated. Also validation of simulation results with the experimental results of the same pipe is perfomed. Maximum residual stress (460MPa) is measured on inner surface of the pipe (96 percent of yield stress) which is reduced to 200MPa (42 percent of yield stress) after hydrostatic test. Because residual stress after hydrostatic test is lower than half of yield stress, hole drilling technique is validated after hydrostatic test.