Gas Technology Institute Investigates Pipeline Maintenance Standards

Oren Lever, Energy Delivery & Utilization, Gas Technology Institute, USA

Gas Technology Institute (GTI), a leader in natural gas research, development, and training, investigated industry standards for squeeze-off length in gas pipelines to make pipes more accessible. Squeeze-off is a procedure that involves compressing a pipe to completely stop the flow of gas. The GTI team created a fully parametric time-dependent model using the Structural Mechanics Module and the Nonlinear Structural Materials Module in the COMSOL Multiphysics® software. They created a hybrid mesh by integrating structured and unstructured meshes. This approach, together with a contact analysis and custom constitutive model, allowed the team to accurately analyze large pipe deformations.