FSI-Simulation of Ductile Fracture Propagation and Arrest in Pipelines: Comparison with Existing Data of Full-Scale Burst Tests

Abstract The fracture propagation and arrest control for pipelines transporting rich natural gases and high vapor pressure liquids is based on the Battelle Two-Curve Model (BTCM). Distinct limitations of this model were demonstrated for past and modern steels and gas mixtures. These can be related to the insufficient description of individual physical processes and interactions between the pipe material and transported mixture during the running ductile fracture. In the past, fluid-structure interaction (FSI) models enabled a more sophisticated, coupled analysis of the failure scenario. To quantify their capability of describing the multi-physical processes, the FSI models need to be verified by experimental data from full-scale burst tests (FSBT). Therefore, this paper deals with the simulation of five FSBTs from the literature on API grade X65 pipes with different pipe geometries, mixtures and initial conditions. The FSI is modeled by the coupled Euler-Lagrange (CEL) method. The modified Mohr-Coulomb (MMC) model is implemented in the CEL framework to describe the deformation and ductile fracture in the X65/L450 pipes. 3D Euler equations are used to calculate the mixture decompression with the GERG-2008 equation of state defining the volumetric behavior of a CO2-rich mixture, CH4 and H2. The extended model considers the effect of soil backfill on the pipe deformation and inertia. The numerical predictions agree well with the experimental findings in terms of the crack propagation speed and arrest length underlining the capability of the developed numerical tool.