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Numerical Simulation of Pipeline Failure Mechanisms Under Lightning Strikes, Capturing Electric Disruption and Thermal Damage

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Abstract

This study presents a computational analysis of pipeline failure and soil penetration when struck by lightning. A numerical method based on an electro-thermal coupled model is proposed for this purpose. The electric disruption of soil and the thermal damage of pipelines are used to represent engineering failures and calamities. The heterogeneity of the soil and the temporal-spatial distribution of lightning are considered when modelling natural lightning and the ground. Innovative numerical simulations illuminate the mechanisms and processes underlying electrical disasters and pipeline failure. The simulation results indicate that lightning strikes can induce electric penetration in soils and damage underground pipelines. Under the calculative conditions of this article, a cloud-to-ground lightning strike with a voltage of 10 kV can cause a thermal breakdown hole in an underground conduit with a wall thickness of 0.05 m and a depth of 1 m. At the same time, the temperature rises to 500 °C at the location of the pipe perforation opening and 200 °C at the location of the unperforated pipe. The novel numerical method may reveal the mechanism of pipeline failure and the electric penetration of soil during lightning impacts.

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Some or all data, models or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgments

The research reported in this manuscript is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42077435).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China

    Pingping Rao, Weikang Feng, Peihao Ouyang & Jifei Cui

  2. University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, Australia

    Sanjay Nimbalkar

  3. Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China

    Qingsheng Chen

Authors
  1. Pingping Rao
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  2. Weikang Feng
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  3. Peihao Ouyang
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  4. Jifei Cui
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  5. Sanjay Nimbalkar
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  6. Qingsheng Chen
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Contributions

WF contributed to conceptualization; PO and WF performed formal analysis and investigation; RP done supervision and funding acquisition; PO done software; SN helped in writing—original draft; QC helped in writing—review and editing.

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Correspondence to Weikang Feng.

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Rao, P., Feng, W., Ouyang, P. et al. Numerical Simulation of Pipeline Failure Mechanisms Under Lightning Strikes, Capturing Electric Disruption and Thermal Damage. J Fail. Anal. and Preven. 23, 2065–2074 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-023-01754-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-023-01754-0

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