Hybrid Laser/GMAW of High Strength Steel Gas Transmission Pipelines

Fast Facts
Technology and Commercialization
Research Entity:	Edison Welding Institute, Inc. 1250 Arthur E. Adams Dr. Columbus, OH 43221-3560
COTR:	James Merritt, james.merritt @ dot.gov, (303)638-4758
Contract #:	DTPH56-07-T-000003
Project #:	219
Contact Info:	Ms. Susan R. Fiore Phone: 614-688-5057 Fax:614-688-5001 Email: sfiore @ ewi.org
Partners:	Edison Welding Institute (EWI), Ian Harris Chevron, Ron Schockley Heerema, Stefan Hees ConocoPhillips, Joe Kiefer ExxonMobil, Dan Lillig Tenaris Tamsa, Gilles Richard McDermott, Clyde Noel CRC Evans, Brian Laing POSCO, Choong Myeong Kim
Peer Review	Very Effective (PHP-3-2008, May 1-14, 2008)
Peer Review	Effective (PHP-4-2009, Apr 1-15, 2009)
Technology Demonstrated?	TBD
Commercialized (in whole/part)?	TBD
Net Improvement	This program has resulted in the deployment of a prototype system for innovative hybrid Laser-GMAW of high strength steel pipe outside of the laboratory. A hybrid Laser-GMAW system gives pipeline operators the deep penetration of lasers with the gap tolerance of GMAW. The high power laser will allow root pass weld speeds to double or triple which will reduce production costs. Under this program, the team has: Designed and built hybrid laser-GMAW system using off the shelf components such as CRC-Evans P-450 bug and band system and 10kW IPG Yb-fiber laser. Designed laser safety enclosure and procedures approved by the FDA and FAA for outdoor use Performed demo of system outdoors using generator power (double down technique on 24" pipe) Achieved 120 IPM travel speed with 5mm effective throat The pipeline industry will benefit from improved competitiveness as well as the increased workload as more pipelines become viable. This project was a necessary earlier phase in the technology development.
Financial and Status Data
Project Status:	Active
Start Fiscal Year:	2007 (07/01/2007)
End Fiscal Year:	2010 (03/31/2010)
PHMSA $$ Budgeted:	$460,000.00
$$ Co-Funded:	$460,000.00
Total Project Cost:	$920,000.00

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Main Objective

The project aims to develop innovative hybrid Yb-Fiber Laser and GMAW process and technologies for pipeline girth welding and to demonstrate the system under field conditions. ID root pass welding with GMAW will be the baseline with external hybrid root pass welding techniques developed for variations of laser power and root face thickness since this combination has the greatest potential to meet existing pipeline integrity requirements and facilitate the use of new and existing Yb-Fiber Laser GMAW hot and fill pass techniques. Advanced automation will be used to improve and develop root and fill pass processes, and for attainment of mechanical property requirements.

In a consortium project offered for match requirements via a Group Sponsor Project (GSP) that is about to start at EWI, an integrated LBW/GMAW system based on a commercial bug and track system will be built, and will be used in this project to develop hybrid LBW/GMAW parameters for girth welds in X100 pipe.

Public Abstract

Pipelines will be an integral part of our energy distribution systems for the foreseeable future. Operators are currently considering the installation of tens of billions of dollars of pipeline infrastructure. In a number of cases, the cost of exporting the product will have a dominating influence on the viability of the upstream production facilities. These facilities will progress only if the industry can substantially reduce capital expenditure and improve design for pipeline integrity. Whether the application is an onshore gas transmission line or a deepwater pipeline, there is a need to constantly improve the productivity, quality, integrity, and reliability of pipeline girth welds to reduce construction costs. There is also a need for improved technologies suitable for the higher strength steels currently being developed. Despite significant investment, one-shot welding and power beam processes have failed to achieve real benefits in pipeline construction. Innovative hybrid Laser/arc welding techniques, which can complete 5G welds, assure weld soundness, material properties, geometric profile, and offer the best chance of developing high integrity welding processes. The innovative hybrid Laser/Gas Metal Arc Welding (hybrid LBW/GMAW) process will be developed for application in mechanized welding of high strength, high integrity pipelines.The overall goal is to reduce the cost of pipeline construction and improve the integrity of pipeline girth welds by permitting the deployment of higher quality welding processes. This program will result in the deployment of a prototype system for innovative hybrid LBW/GMAW of high strength steel pipe in field conditions. This proposal is designed to address Topic Area 2 of the BAA � Developing Construction Practices for Welding High Strength Steel Pipe and Goal #4 � Laser Hybrid Welding as defined by working group WG#2: Construction during the PHMSA Government/Industry Workshop held in Boulder, CO, January 25-26, 2006. EWI is an internationally recognized leader in the development, evaluation and validation of pipeline welding, and materials joining technology.

Project Team: EWI (Lead Organization), Chevron, Heerema, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Tenaris Tamsa, McDermott, POSCO, CRC Evans

Sponsoring Organizations: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) with additional funding from a parallel Group Sponsored Project (GSP) at EWI titled "Fiber Laser Based Hybrid Automated Pipe Girth Welding" involving the above listed industry participants

For further information contact: Ian D. Harris, Edison Welding Institute, Inc. (EWI), 1250 Arthur E. Adams Dr, Columbus, OH 43221, Ph: (614) 688-5131, Fax: (614) 688-5001, Email: ian_harris @ ewi.org

Quarterly Status Reports

4th Quarterly Status Report - Public Page