Bolted Flange Joint Reliability Improvement Using Profiled Wire Gasket

Abstract The paper presents a case study of the application of profiled winding wire gasket (referred to as PWG) in a De-Methanizer heat exchanger and the subsequent improvement achieved in the bolted joint connection at Waterton gas plant operated by Pieridae Energy. A comparison is made between the PWG and the kammprofile gaskets in terms of gasket compression characteristics and performance in cyclic environment to highlight the benefits of using the former. The paper also highlights the importance of gasket design selection in a bolted joint rather than depending solely on the existing numerical methods of determining assembly bolt stress. A finite element analysis (FEA) is conducted in order to understand the effect of thermal gradients and pass-partition plates on the circumferential deflections at the gasket seating area. Using the PWG a leak-free start-up was achieved and the mean time between failure (MTBF) was increased from 8 months to 37 months for the same bolted joint. A cost benefit analysis is performed to show that the payback period on any gasketing technology upgrade is minute, and the operational savings obtained are substantial.