Pipeline Valves Technology, Material Selection, Welding, and Stress Analysis (A Case Study of a 30 in Class 1500 Pipeline Ball Valve)

Abstract

Pipeline valves are the largest, heaviest, and most important valves on an offshore platform with long delivery time. A pipeline valve is either a ball type or through conduit gate valve type with a top entry design. The top entry design provides advantages such as a lower risk of leakage, greater mechanical strength against pipeline loads, and ease of maintenance (online maintenance) compared to the side entry design. A 30 in pipeline ball valve in class 1500 and carbon steel body material was chosen for stress analysis in this paper. The valve was connected to the pipeline through pup pieces from both sides. The pup pieces were connected to the body of the valve through transition pieces. The large 30 in valve has an emergency shut down safety function and is equipped with a hydraulic actuator. The valve is designed based on the American Petroleum Institute (API) 6D Specification for Pipeline and Piping valves. The proposed formula of wall thickness calculation in this paper is based on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section VIII, Division 2, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) instead of the ASME B16.34 standard. The wall thickness values given in the ASME B16.34 standard of “Valves Flanged, Threaded and Welding End” are very conservative and thick, which makes pipeline valves heavier and more expensive. Noticeably, ASME B16.34 requires an even higher thickness due to assembly loads, actuation (opening and closing) loads, and shapers other than circular that are applicable for pipeline valves. These valves should withstand loads from pipeline systems such as axial, torsion, and bending moments. ASME B16.34 does not specify the body wall thickness of the pipeline valves under the pipeline loads and moments. This paper aims to create a model to prove that the 30 in Class1500 pipeline valve will withstand the loads and moments with the thickness of the valve calculated using ASME Section VIII, Division 2 methods. The criteria and the model used to prove the suitability of the valve against the loads and moments are based on ASME Section VIII, Division 2.