How to define critical pipelines?

How to define critical pipelines?

How to define critical pipelines from the point of view of solidity and stability? Each pipeline system should to a lesser or greater extent be subject to calculation. The basic thing for all pipelines is to calculate the minimum needed thickness of the pipe wall for the required standard (code, norm), material, pressure and temperature. It is also necessary to check how pipelines react to all other sorts of loads that can and will occur during their lifetime. These can be loads caused by own pipeline and pipeline components mass, wind, earthquake, auxiliary equipment movements, transitional occurrences in the flow of the medium and others.

The question is what and how should we calculate? It is clear that when it is necessary to check for example pipelines at elevated and high temperatures or pipelines which are situated in a seismically active area or pipelines for critical plants (e.g. nuclear power plant), simple methods are no longer applicable. Regardless of whether they are analytical, graphic, tables and alike. We come to a question of how to define which lines are critical and which are not? Which lines need to be calculated with specialized computer applications for pipeline calculations?

The analysis of pipeline stress is a complex task which always takes more engineering time and increases the costs needed for a project connected to a certain pipeline. But, it is inevitable. In order to avoid (for the investor in most cases) the unwanted costs to a certain extent, it is necessary to define the critical lines, which means to define which lines need further simulations and analyses.

Authors:

Zdravko Ivancic
NUMIKON L.T.D

Shadi Almahariq
NUMIKON L.T.D

Luka Alfier
NUMIKON L.T.D

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