Design and Analysis of Metal-To-Metal Contact Bolted Flange Joint Using FEA Tool

Chemical and petroleum industries are striving for a better module of flanges for reducing the stress and higher temperature distribution to keep it safe for long-time prevention from the leakage. CAD and CAE tools like SolidWorks and Ansys are one of the best solutions for providing better information for improving the mechanical and thermal properties of the flange. Flanges are characterized in terms of rating (strength and sealing capacity). In present work, metal-to-metal gasket has been used for achieving minimum stress, providing high sealing capability, and to make amends for unloading impact due to external and internal loading. 317L stainless steel, ASTM A387 Grade 22 Class 2 steel, and ASTM A193M B16 materials are used for flange, gasket, and bolts, respectively. A 3D nonlinear finite element model is established for analyzing the complex behavior of MMC-type gasket flange under combined loading of internal pressure and thermal constraints. This present study shows MMCG model, which is able to serve better gasket performance in terms of temperature, pressure, and leakage reduction.