Optimization of filament winding parameters for the design of a composite pipe

In the oil&gas field, common steel pipelines experience well-known problems of corrosion and maintenance. The design with composite materials could avoid these problems and provide lightness to the overall structures. Standards and regulations guide the designer through the qualification steps, but they are constantly under review based on the increasing knowledge of the long term mechanical behaviour of these materials. The aim of this work is to provide the designer with an analytical tool for the optimal design of a composite plain pipe, i.e. minimizing the wall thickness. The paper presents considerations useful in the design stage for the selection of the optimal fiber, matrix, volume fraction Vf, and winding angle θ. The study simulates tests with inner pressure and axial loads, in accordance with the main applicable standards. Based on the analytical estimations, we found a locus of optimal technological parameters with volume fraction 40% < Vf < 60% and winding angle ±44.5°<±52.5°. From these considerations, we can suggest a customization in the pipe production, based on the estimated axial loads in exercise.