Study of the Effect of the Stress-Strain Range from a Uniaxial Tensile Test on the Hyperelastic Modeling of a Polyurethane Sealing Disc

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.D Candidate, Faculty of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshty University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Pipeline systems are the primary means of transporting materials in many industries. Cleaning, inspecting, and overhauling these systems are crucial for maintaining their efficiency. Pipeline pigging is one of the most effective methods for cleaning and sealing pipelines. Therefore, studying the behavior of the sealing elements of pigs as they pass through steel pipes is essential to prevent blockages and ensure smooth operation. One of the key procedures in simulating the sealing discs, as the primary sealing elements of the pig, is predicting the hyperelastic behavior of these elastomers, which can endure large strains. However, the range of strain experienced in the present simulation is smaller than that observed in uniaxial tensile tests. Therefore, selecting the optimal range of data from the stress-strain curve is a significant challenge in accurately calculating the hyperelastic model coefficient. To ensure a more precise analysis, experimental tests were conducted to validate the numerical results. In this study, three sealing discs with different thicknesses were tested in four steel pipes with varying wall thicknesses. The numerical results indicate that using an inappropriate range of stress-strain data from uniaxial tensile tests can lead to a discrepancy of up to 25%, which is considerable.

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Amirkabir Journal of Mechanical Engineering
Volume 57, Issue 5
August 2025
Pages 663-682

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