compu?err& smcrures Vol. 64, No. 5/6. pp. 939-948.

1997
0 I!397 Ekvier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Pergamon Printed in Great Britain
004%7949/97 117.00 + 0.00
PII: soa-7949(9

ANALYSIS OF THE ELECTROFUSION JOINING PROCESS

IN POLYETHYLENE GAS PIPING SYSTEMS
M. Fujikakef, M. Fukumurat and K. KitaoS
TMaterials and Processing Research Center, NKK Corporation, 1 Kokan-cho, Fukuyama,
Hiroshima, 721, Japan
IMaterials and Processing Research Center, NKK Corporation, 1-l Minamiwataridacho,
Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210, Japan

Abstract-Electrofusion (EF) is a semi-automated technology for joining polyethylene gas distribution

pipes. To design reliable EF joints, a computational model for the EF joining process needs to be
established. In the present work, a simulation method for the EF joining process, in which the
thermomechanical coupling behavior is taken into account, has been developed employing ADINA and
ADINA-T. The method can be used to simulate the closure process of the clearance between the joint
and the pipe. In addition, the histories of the interface pressure and the temperature distributions, the
parameters which have a critical importance on the quality of the joint, can be obtained. First, the
computed results were compared with the experimental data from a small scale EF joint and good
agreement was obtained. Next, the method was applied to design a large scale EF joint and the design
optimization was carried out, resulting in the successful development of a reliable joint. 0 1997 Elsevier
Science Ltd.

1. INTRODUCTION 2. EF JOINING PROCESS AND DESIGN CONDITIONS

Polyethylene (PE) gas distribution pipes have many
superior features compared with steel gas distribution
pipes; for example, PE hardly corrodes and is
very flexible, so it is safe from earthquakes and a
ground subsidence. It is also light and easily
constructed. Small size steel gas pipes are now
being replaced by PE pipes in Japan. The PE pipes
are usually connected by electrofusion (EF) which is
a semi-automated technology for joining PE pipes.
The EF joining technique has been well established
and widely used in Europe for over 15 years.
However, as for large size PE pipes, there remains a
fundamental barrier to the wide usage of the EF
joining technique because of the absence of
quantitative performance data and reliable compu-
tational models.
The major object of this research is to develop
a computational mode1 and a simulation system
for the EF joining process. In this paper, we
first describe the EF joining process and discuss
joining conditions required to create the highly
reliable bonding. We also discuss how to turn
the electric power off. Next, we present the
computational model for the joining process and
demonstrate the applicability of our approach by
comparing the computational results with the
experimental data of a small scale EF joint. Finally,
we briefly discuss the application of the simulation
system to the design of a large scale joint, which has
resulted in the successful development of a reliable
joint.
To connect two PE pipes, each pipe is put into the
socket as shown in Fig. 1. There exists a clearance
between socket and pipe which we define as the
difference between socket inner diameter and pipe
outer diameter. A spiral wire is embedded in the inner
side of socket wall and is heated by electric power.
Following this, the PE around the wire is heated
which causes a large expansion so that the initial
clearance vanishes. The PE near the contact zone
melts and the socket and the pipe are fused at the
interface region. Thus, the two pipes are bonded to
the socket and connected together.
Experimental work related to quantifying the
influences of power input, heating time and clearance
size on the quality of the joins had been carried
out [l]. The quality will be heavily dependent on the
temperature and the pressure at the interface region
during the joining process [2]. The interface tem-
perature has to exceed the melting point of 128°C
(it should be higher than 160°C). However, the
maximum temperature around the heating wire is
limited to being lower than 350°C by the degradation
of PE at high temperatures. The interface pressure
has to exceed 1 kgf cm-* to insure the strength
of bonding. However, the pressure should not be
excessive (it should be lower than 10 kgf cme2)
so that the resin does not flow out of the socket
edge. Evidently there exists a suitable range of
heating times. The electric power should be
appropriately turned off for an effective bond to be
formed.

939
 M. Fujikake PI ~1.

power is turned off. The simplest way to turn

the power off is setting the heating time prior to
ZOOM UP the operation. The appropriate heating time can be
experimentally determined in advance. However, this
method cannot deal with the voltage change which
frequently happens in a field operation, a resistance
dispersion of wire and other accidental changes of
operation conditions. This method can never detect
a failure of joining and, therefore, will not be reliable.
Another way is to measure the temperature near the
interface of the socket side and turn the power off
when it reaches a specified temperature. This method
does not monitor the pressure. If the clearance is
large, the interface temperature of the socket side
Fig. 1. Axial section of EF joint. increases rapidly because the clearance closure is late
and the heat does not flow into the pipe side before
the closure (this phenomenon will be shown in a later
The joining process is very complicated. The initial section). Thus, the power may be turned off before
clearance between socket and pipe has a certain the interface pressure rises enough. If the clearance is
range; for example, the clearance is 0.61.6 mm in a small, the phenomenon is opposite, i.e. an excessive
75A small scale joint (89 mm diameter pipe) and, interface pressure may be induced and, therefore, this
perhaps surprisingly, 0.85-2.85 mm in a 200A large method is not so reliable. In addition, this method
scale joint (216 mm diameter pipe). The initial needs a long interval between joining operations,
clearance size greatly affects the interface pressure particularly in the summer, because thermocouples
so its fluctuation makes it difficult to control the measuring the temperature are heated in the previous
pressure. Furthermore, the field joining operation can operation and need to be sufficiently cooled before
take place under various ambient temperatures from the next operation.
- 5 to 40°C. The ambient temperature directly affects We adopted the pressure-sensor self-regulating
the interface temperature; it also significantly affects system called NKK-INNOGAZ electrofusion system
the interface pressure. The outside temperature of the as shown in Fig. 2. The schematic mechanisms for
socket hardly rises during heating. The Young’s turning the power off are shown in Fig. 3. After the
modulus of PE has a high temperature dependency clearance closes and the PE near the interface melts.
[which is shown in Fig. 8(c)] and the modulus at the pressure in the molten PE increases. In the region
-5°C is 2.5 times larger than that at 40°C. If the near the bottom of the sensor hole, the temperature
ambient temperature is low, the outer side of the rises and the PE softens. Following this, the high
socket has a high stiffness so it firmly suppresses the pressure near the interface heaves up the softened
expansion of heated PE on the inner side and a high PE at the bottom of sensor hole pushing up the
interface pressure is induced. We have to design the sensor-bar which turns the power off. If the joint is
joint and control the heating time so that any well designed, this method always assures that the
temperature and pressure restrictions can be satisfied clearance is fully occupied by the resin and both the
under all the operation conditions. temperature and the pressure rise enough, but not
In order to control the heating time in operation, excessively, at the interface even when the operation
an important factor is when and how the electric conditions change and any dispersion of products

Before fusion

Fig. 2. Electrofusion fitting using pressure-sensor self-regulation system (NKK-INNOGAZ).

 Electrofusion joining process in polyethylene gas piping systems

Sensor-bar

Clt?aZnnce
Fig. 3. Schematic turning-off mechanism of pressure-sensor
self-regulating system. Fig. 4. Analysis model (a half-wire pitch).

exists. A failure in joining can be found by detecting temperature and the pressure. We have to precisely
an unusual heating time. Therefore, this method is simulate this thermomechanical coupling behavior
very reliable. during the clearance closure process. Figure 5 shows
We have to design this type of self-regulating the flow chart of the EF joining analysis. The
joint so that when the power is turned off, all general-purpose finite-element codes ADINA and
temperature and pressure restrictions discussed above ADINA-T [7] have been used as the basis for the
are satisfied under the specified range of ambient analysis. First, the temperature distribution is
temperatures and initial clearance sizes. It is computed. Next, the stress and the deformation are
especially difficult to design a large scale joint because computed using the new temperature distribution. In
the initial clearance size and its fluctuation are very the stress analysis, the clearance closure is dealt with
large. We have to be aided by computational models by gap elements shown in Fig. 6(b). Using the
to design the joint efficiently. Many papers on
constructing reliable computational models have
been published [2Z6]. They showed relatively precise
temperature distributions compared with exper-
iments; however, no reasonable pressure history has
been presented although this is one of the key
parameters of a self-regulating joint. Therefore, we
have developed a joining simulation system which
can precisely trace the histories of the interface
pressure and the temperature distributions.

3. ELECTROFUSION ANALYSYS

3.1. Computational model

The joint can be assumed axisymmetric. Owing
to symmetries, it was only necessary to analyze a
half-wire pitch in the axial direction, which is the
Update Temp.
shaded region shown in Fig. 4. Our aim was to
I
obtain, precisely, the history of variables during the
heating process. We continued to analyze the joining
process until the electric power was turned off.
A residual stress analysis did not need to be included.
We assumed the material to be elastic; the PE behaves
elastically before the clearance closes. After the
clearance closes and the PE melts, the molten PE does
not flow because it is confined in a closed space and
only the pressure (no shear stress) will arise. This
behavior of PE will be modeled by elastic assumption
if the bulk modulus is precisely measured.
The initial clearance between socket and pipe
gradually closes and the occurrence of contact and
the spread of the contact region drastically change the Fig. 5. Flow chart of EF joining simulation system.
942 M. Fujikake et 01.

Gap elements Dummy conduction elements

(a) Heat flow modeling at inter- (b) Stress analysis (c) Temperature analysis

face

Fig. 6. Modeling of clearance closure.

deformed configuration of the joint, the temperature conductivity K,,~ is:

distribution is computed in which the thermal
condition of clearance is considered. Dummy
conduction elements are inserted in the clearance as
shown in Fig. 6(c). The thermal conductivity of the = oFL( ri’ + T:)( T, + Ti) (4)
dummy element is changed depending on the contact
situation shown in Fig. 6(a). If no contact occurs at where L is the distance between the surfaces. If
the position of the element, the conductivity K is contact occurs at the position of the dummy element,
the sum of the conductivity of air, K,,, and the the conductivity is infinite:
conductivity equivalent to the radiation heat flow.
C‘ld: K = (very large). (5)

K = K,,, + ti,,,J (1) It should be noted that the dummy element is an

K,,~can be calculated as follows. We assume that the
socket inner surface is parallel to the pipe outer
surface and the surfaces are infinitely wide as shown
in Fig. 7. Then, the radiation heat flow 4,: between
the two surfaces is:
(2)
orthotropic material. The conductivity in the radial
direction is calculated by eqn (1) if no contact occurs
or eqn (5) if contact occurs, while that in the axial
direction is always zero. If the procedure shown
in Fig. 5 is repeated many times using a small
time increment then the histories of the interface
pressure and the temperature distributions can be
obtained.

F= 1/(1/c, + l/c* - 1) 3.2. Material properties

(3)
Figure 8 shows the material properties of PE.
where c is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, (, The properties have significant variations over the
and t2 are the emissivities of the surfaces, 7; and temperature range of interest during joining. We
z are the surface temperatures and 7” expresses measured the bulk modulus, K and the temperature
the absolute temperature. Then, the equivalent dependency of Poisson’s ratio, v, was determined so
that the measured bulk modulus could be obtained
from the Poisson’s ratio and the Young’s modulus, E,
Tl T2 i.e. v = (1 - E/3K)/2. At high temperatures, Pois-
son’s ratio is nearly 0.5 as the Young’s modulus of
molten PE is very small. It should be emphasized that
the coefficient of thermal expansion significantly
affects the interface pressure and so should be
carefully measured.

4. SIMULATION OF JOINING PROCESS AND

COMPARISON WITH EXPERIMENTS

4.1. Electrofusion joining behavior

The joint of 75A was analyzed to identify the
Fig. 7. Radiation heat flow between infinite parallel surfaces. mechanism involved in electrofusion. Figure 9
 Eleetrofusion joining process in polyethylene gas piping systems 943

1.2x10" 4x10-6

3.5x10-6
1X10-f
F
-. s 3x10-6
8x10-' -.
ii .I 2.5x10-4
B
b 6x10-8 > 2x10-6
: 8
8 51.5x10-6
4x10-a
Ez. u
* 1x10-6
Y
2xloe)
5x10-7

0 0
,50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Temparature ['Cl Temperature ['Cl

(a) Thermal conductivity (b) Heat capacity

0.0008

0.0007

G 0.0006
'1
z 0.0005

* 0.0004

0.0003

0.0002

TemperattIre [‘Cl
0.0001

0
-50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Temperature ['Cl
1
(c) Young’s modulus (d) Mean coefficient of thermal expansion
(Reference temperature 0°C)

0.35 . , .., , . : . . -
,'

0.30- ' ' a ' ' ' ' ' '

-50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Temperature ['Cl

(e) Poiaaon’s ratio

Fig. 8. Material properties of polyethylene.

shows the initial stage of the joining process in
the case of a small clearance of 0.6 mm and an
ambient temperature of 40°C. The mesh is enlarged
by a factor of two in the axial direction for an ease
of interpretation. Only a part of the mesh around
the heating wire and the clearance is shown. The
wire mesh is not shown so as to clearly display the
temperature distribution of PE; this figure enables us
to understand how the joining progresses. The PE
around the wire is heated and expands at time 10 s,
944 M. Fujikake t’f (I/

PiDe Clearance
I Socket
TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE
TIME 10.00 TIME 20.00
MAXIMUM MAXIMUM
A 136.5 A 170.9
MINIMUM MINIMUM
m 45.70 m 57.43
136.5 170.9

118.3 148.2

100.2 125.5

82.0 102.8

‘- 63.9 80.1

-. _ 57.4
45.7

(a) Expansion (at time 10sec.) (b) Contact (at time 20sec.)

TEMPERATURE
TIME 30.00

MAXIMUM
A 192.0

MINIMUM l Initial clearance: 0.6mm

m 75.37
192.0 l Ambient temperature: 40°C

168.6 b Power input: 950W

145.3

122.0
L 98.7
_. 75.4

(c) Almost Closure (at time 30sec.)

Fig. 9. Closure of Initial clearance and temperature distribution

the PE under the wire contacts the pipe surface at 20 s which had been already developed. Thermo-
and at 30 s, the clearance almost closes and the heat couples were placed on the socket inner wall and
flow into the pipe is progressing. the pipe outer wall to measure the surface
It is interesting to note that the joining process temperatures and a pressure transducer was posi-
is somewhat different
in case of a large clearance. tioned in the wall of the pipe to measure the interface
Figure 10 shows the case of a large clearance of pressure.
1.6 mm. The PE around the wire expands and Figure 11 shows the histories of temperatures and
protrudes at 20 s, but cannot contact the pipe because internal pressure for a large clearance of 1.6 mm
of the large clearance. Afterwards, the PE between and an ambient temperature of 40°C. In Figs 1 I
the wires starts to expand at 30 s, contacts the pipe and 12, the plots indicate the experimental measure-
at 40 s and the clearance completely closes at 60 s. It ments. while solid lines give the computational results
appears that the simulation results are reasonable. which are averaged along the axial direction. The
socket inner temperature rises more rapidly than the
4.2. Comparison with experiments
pipe outer temperature at the early heating stage;
We measured the interface temperature and they become the same after 60 s, at which time the
pressure of actual joints to validate the compu- clearance completely closes as observed in Fig. 10.
tational model using the small scale joint of 75A The interface pressure rises at 50 s when the clearance
 Electrofusion joining process in polyethylene gas piping systems 945

TEHPERATURE TEMPERATURE

n
TIME 10.00 TIWE 20.00

MAXIWUI4 HAXIWJM
A 137.7 A 171.5

nranm4 Mum4u~
aI 43.11 #I 49.30
137.7 171.5
118.8 147.1
99.8 122.6
80.9 98.2
62.0 73.7
- 43.1 - 49.3

(a) Time 10s (b) Time 20s

TEMPERATURE TEHPERATURE
TIME 30.00 TIWE 40.00

l4AxInuM nAxInuM
A 197.6 A 216.3

n1lr1Mun I4IlvmuM
* 57.40 Y 68.82
197.6 216.3
169.6 186.8
141.5 157.3
113.5 127.8
85.4 98.3
- 68.8

(c) Time 30s (d) Time 40s

TEnPEP.AT”RE TEMPERATURE
TIME 50.00 TIME 60.00

(e) Time 50s (f) Time 60s

Fig. IO. Closure of initial clearance and temerature distribution (initial clearance 1.6 mm, ambient
temperature 4O”C, power input 950 W).

almost closes as shown in Fig. 10. Figure 12(a)
shows the history of interface pressure for a small
clearance of 0.6 mm and an ambient temperature of
40°C. Compared with Fig. II(b), in which the
clearance is large, we can observe that in case of a
small clearance, the pressure peak is larger and the
pressure starts to rise at the earlier heating stage.
Figure 12(b) shows the history of interface pressure
in case of a large clearance of I .6 mm and an ambient
temperature of -5°C. Compared with Fig. 1l(b), in
which the ambient temperature is 40°C the pressure
peak is remarkably larger, the pressure rises at the
later heating stage in case of the lower ambient
temperature.
The computed results show very good agree-
ment with experimental data so the accuracy of
946 M. Fujikake ef al.

0 0
Heating Time [sec.] Heating Time [sec.]

(a) History of temperatures (b) History of interface pressure

Fig. I I. Comparison of measured and computed values (initial clearance 1.6 mm, ambient temperature
4O”C, power input 950 W).

the presented computational model is apparent. two conditions assure the bonding strength at the
The results also indicate that the model will be interface):
quantitatively able to evaluate the effect of important
design parameters to the joining process and the l the maximum value of the interface temperature

simulation system can be effectively applied to the has to be larger than 160°C;
design of large scale joints. l the peak of the interface pressure has to be larger

than 1 kgf cme2;

l the maximum PE temperature around the
5. DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE-SCALE JOINT BASED heating wire has to be lower than 350°C to prevent
ON SIMULATIONS
the PE degrading;
In the design of the large-scale joint of 200A l the maximum temperature of pipe inner wall has

(218 mm diameter pipe), difficulties occur due to the to be lower than 110°C to keep the stiffness of the
large clearance and its large fluctuation; the clearance pipe;
size is between 0.85 and 2.85 mm and the ambient l the maximum interface pressure has to be lower

temperature of field operation is from -5 to 40°C.
As shown in the previous section for the small scale
joint, these two operation parameters strongly affect
the joining behavior and will more strongly affect in
the large scale joint.
We can summarize the design conditions having
to be satisfied during heating process (the first
than 10 kgf cm - * to prevent the resin from flowing
out of the socket.
We have to design the joint so that all above
conditions are satisfied during joining. In other
words, the joint has to be designed so that the electric
power is turned off when all the conditions are

_.o:, , , , , , ,
46 60 60 160120140160160200
He&bl*
--- Tlmc le.1
--- .----a

(a) Initial clearance 0.6mm (b) Initial clearance 1.6mm

Ambient temperature 40°C Ambient temperature -5°C
Fig. 12. Comparison of measured and computed interface pressure.
 Electrofusion joining
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
Interface
Fig. 13. The relationship between the temperature on the bottom of sensor hole and the interface pressure
when the bottom
satisfied. The major design variables examined
through the simulation are the wall thickness
of socket, the depth of sensor hole, the depth of
embedding heating wire, the pitch of wire, the
amount of power input etc. An experimental
approach to optimize the design variables will be very
time consuming and costly requiring a large number
of trials. A large mold for injection is needed to make
the large scale joint; therefore, when the design is
changed, the shape of the mold also needs to be
changed.
The presented simulation system can be effectively
used to eliminate such a trial and error process.
Figure 13 shows the relationship between the
temperature on the bottom of the sensor hole and
the interface pressure when the bottom of the sensor
hole starts to upheave, which were obtained by
experiments. The power is turned off within a short
period after the temperature and the pressure satisfies
the relationship shown in Fig. 13. We calculated the
heating time when the temperature and the pressure
satisfied the relationship. From this heating time to
the time after a short period, all the temperature and
pressure conditions mentioned above have to be
satisfied under all the specified range of clearance
sizes and ambient temperatures. We sought the range
of design variables satisfying such conditions and
calculated the sensitivity of design variables to the
temperature and the pressure, which could be
effectively used in the experimental trial and error
process of full-sized joints. The large scale joint was
designed based on the simulation results. After a few
tests, we have successfully developed the reliable joint
of 200A which is shown in Fig. 14.
6. CONCLUDING REMARKS
The major objective of this paper was to develop
a computational model of electrofusion joining
process in polyethylene gas piping systems 947
0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
pressure MPa
of the sensor hole starts to upheave.
for polyethylene gas distribution pipes. A model in
which the thermomechanical coupling behavior is
taken into account has been developed employing
ADINA and ADINA-T. The model can be used to
simulate the closure process of clearance between
socket and pipe; the closure process in the stress
analysis was dealt with by gap elements. In the
temperature analysis, dummy conduction elements
were inserted into the clearance. The conductivity of
each dummy element was changed depending on the
contact situation determined by the stress analysis.
The temperature and stress were reciprocally solved
using a small time increment. Thus, the histories of
interface pressure and temperature distributions can
be precisely obtained. These two parameters have
a critical importance on the quality of the joint.
The interface pressure is especially important in the
pressure-sensor self-regulating system we adopted,
which is a very reliable system for turning the power
Off.
The computed results were compared with the
experimental data from a small scale joint. The
computed interface temperature and pressure agreed
well with the experimental values under various
operation conditions. Following this, the accuracy of
the presented model was validated. The mechanism in
Fig. 14. Large scale joint of 200A developed by NKK.
948 M. Fujikake el al.
the electrofusion joining process was also demon-
strated. The simulation applied to the design of the
large scale joint of 200A. We described the design
conditions and briefly discussed the design optimiz-
ation process of the joint. Based on the simulation
results, we succeeded in efficiently developing the
reliable large scale joint.
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Nishimura, H., Nakakura, M., Shishido, S.. Masaki.
A., Shibano, H. and Nagatani, F., Effect of design
factors of EF joints on fusion strength. In: Proceedings
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Francisco, CA, pp. 99-111, 1989.
Kanninen, M. F., Buczala, G. S., Kuhlman, C. J..
Green, S. T., Grigory, S. C.. O’Donoghue P. E. and
MaCarthy, M. A., A theoretical and experimental
evaluation of the long term integrity of an electro-
fusion joint. In: Plastics Pipes VIII, Netherlands,
pp. B2/3-l-10, 1992.
3. Funatu. K., Kajiwara, T. and Nakano, Y., A numerical
simulation of welding process with electrofusion joint.
Seikei-Kakou, 1993, 5, 402411.
4. Nishinura, H., Suyama, M., Inoue, F., Higuchi, Y. and
Ishikawa, T., An evaluation method for electrofusion
ioint strength of polyethylene pipes for gas distribution.
In: Plasric~ Pipes IX, U. K.. pp. 162-i67, 1995.
5. Hilaer. H.. Petrv D. and El Barbari. N.. Fundamental
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6. Grigory, S. C., O’Donoghue, P. E. and Mamoun,
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Plastics Pipes IX. U. K.. DD. 389-399. 1995.
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