Long pipe bend radius

Posted by: j_mendez

Long pipe bend radius - 09/27/12 07:56 AM

Dear colleagues,
I am working with a crude oil pipe .
The project consists, in the conection between two oil crude facilities.
In the pipe route there are several "long pipe bend radius" about 12.5 m each bend radius.
I have been reading in the help file and tutorial but I have not find any information regarding this tipe of bends.
Since it is not a standard bend I do not know how to address it.
I have talked with a Senior Engineer, who tell me, that I could "simulate" this long pipe bend radius with small straight pipes, so as to I will be able to define supports and perform the anylisis in that way..
How do you recommend me to do it?
Posted by: Richard Ay

Re: Long pipe bend radius - 09/27/12 10:46 PM

Using straight segments (no bends) for a curvature this large is appropriate.
Posted by: Ibrahim Demir

Re: Long pipe bend radius - 10/06/12 05:29 AM

If the piping is buried you do not need to model small straight lines. Use one IP point for each bend and assign the large radius. Caesar II does the small segmenting automatically within the converting process of the above ground piping model into the buried piping model. This saves a lot of time for the Caesar II users.

If you work on above ground piping, of course, you do not have this chance unnfortunately.

I hope Richard may suggest the Caesar II team to provide an option to split the large curvature into small segments for modelling purposes of aboveground piping, if not difficult, in short future.

Regards,

Ibrahim Demir
Posted by: Michael_Fletcher

Re: Long pipe bend radius - 04/19/18 09:21 AM

Apologies to dredge up the past, but I recently came into a similar scenario.

The underground portion of my system consists of the following:
1. One partially buried 30 deg bend, 50D radius.
2. A fairly short section of pipe (compared to all the bends in the system).
3. One 90 deg bend, 50D radius.
4. An shorter run of pipe.
5. Another partially buried 30 deg bend, 50D radius.

Since we can't (shouldn't) analyze large diameter bends that are in the earth (see post here), is it appropriate to break partially submerged elbows and apply bends to the portion above ground?

Is there a bend radius to tangent length ratio where it's inappropriate to treat it as a stick model?

Is there a bend radius cutoff that is too gray to treat as either bend or as straight sections?

Thanks.

Side question:
Did the ability to include degree symbols disappear recently in this forum?
Posted by: Michael_Fletcher

Re: Long pipe bend radius - 04/19/18 12:40 PM

I'm going to answer my own question number 1.

"Is it appropriate to break partially submerged elbows and apply bends to the portion above ground."

I'm going to go with a resounding yes. Instead of penetrating the ground at 30 degrees (like in the stick model), I'm penetrating it as something closer to 15 degrees, and it's providing more resistance as a result, and therefore higher stresses by some 20%.

Any input on the second 2 questions would be welcome.