Strength and leakage finite element analysis of a GFRP flange joint

The strength and leakage analysis of a glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP ) modified stub flanged joint is presented. The analysis is carried out usi ng three-dimensional and axisymmetric finite elements. To model the GFRP ma terial, we use an orthotropic material model. To model the loss of contact between the flange and the gasket, we use a contact condition between these mating parts. In the axisymmetric case, we allow fluid to penetrate the ar ea where contact is lost; the three-dimensional contact formulation, howeve r, does not support this fluid penetration option. We use a commercial fini te element package (ABAQUS) to perform the analysis. The primary emphasis i s on assessing the strength of the flange and the leak tightness of the gas ket. Bolt interaction is not considered, therefore we assume a constant bol t load over the history of the analyses. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Sci ence Ltd. All rights reserved.