Petaling failure of pressurized pipelines subjected to the impact load by sphere penetrators

Petaling failures of pressurized pipelines subjected to impact loads by sphere penetrators are systematically analyzed. In this paper, nonlinear finite element models are established considering geometric nonlinearity and material nonlinearity. Qualitative descriptions of the petaling mode are performed to recognize the failure patterns and phenomena. Extensive parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of various dominant parameters on deflection responses. Impact limits are studied to reveal the triggering conditions of rupture and perforation. Furthermore, an analytical model is developed based on the plastic hinge to predict the perforation limit and the residual velocity. The comparisons indicate that the analytical model has a good agreement with numerical results. The results conclude the failure features and impact limits for pressurized pipelines subject to sphere penetrator impacts, which are profound for damage assessment and protection design for pressurized tubular members.