Mechanical design for

tubing strings

© The Robert Gordon University 2006 1

 Axial forces
• Axial forces generated during the life of a well define
the tensile and compression conditions of the tubing,
• These can be:
• Weight

• Buoyancy

• Thermal loads

• Internal and external pressures (ballooning)

• Loads generated by fluid flow (friction)

• Piston effects

• Buckling

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 Identification of collapse failure
mechanisms
• API bulletin 5C3 is used as a guide
• Identifies four types of collapse mechanisms, these are:
• Plastic collapse

•
• Utilize the D/t ratio, D is the diameter, t is the wall thickness

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 Axial forces - Weight

• Important factors:

− Well deviation

− Weight of the pipe

− Friction factor

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 Buoyancy effect

• Important factors:
− Fluid density

− String dimensions

− Exposed tubing areas

FB = − p( Ao − Ai)

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 Thermal loading
• Difference in temperatures causes the steel to
expand or contract
• Magnitude of the expansion or contraction force
will depend on the thermal expansion coefficient
(Ct)

• The elongation can be calculated using the

following equation

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 Internal and external pressures
• Induces radial / axial
contraction and
expansion

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 Slack-off and pull up forces

• Applied particularly to packers

• Limit the forces and displacement generated by a
tubing string that can be transmitted to a component
such as a packer and affect its performance (unseat)

• ΔLso is the change in length from the slack-off forces

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 Buckling

• Buckling is generated by
compression forces
• Two types of buckling can be
induced, axial & helical
• Avoided if possible in tubing
strings
• Coiled Tubing, axial is
common, helical can lead to a
“lock-up” conditions

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Elongation & contraction of the tubing

• Expansion devices are

used
• Polished bores & Seal
assemblies
• Accommodate required
movement
• Provided pressure
integrity

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 Burst loading

• Burst of a tubing string results from excessive

internal pressures

• Pressure in the annular helps to counter act the

effect of internal pressure

• Worst case associated with well conditions such as

pressure testing, hydraulic fracturing….

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 Collapse loading

• Collapse of a tubing string results from excessive

external pressures

• Pressure in the tubing helps to counter act the

effect of external pressure

• Worst case associated with well conditions such as

pressure testing a packer seat, high pressure gas
injection…..

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 Collapse – failure mechanisms
• Four mechanisms

1. Elastic collapse
2. Plastic collapse
3. Tensile collapse
4. Yield collapse

• Depend on the slenderness ration D/t

• The ratio of external diameter D divided by the wall

thickness t
© The Robert Gordon University 2010 13
 Summary
• Three (3) main loads act on a tubing string, axial,
burst and collapse
• Axial loads vary depending on the type of completion
but include, thermal, pressure, friction, buckling,
slack-off and piston effect
• Tubing deformation is limited by buckling however, for
Coiled tubing axial or helical buckling are acceptable
• Burst and collapse are the result of the internal and
external pressure conditions

© The Robert Gordon University 2010 14