FEA-based Comparison of Two Kinds of Steel Wire Reinforced Composite Pipes

Recently the steel wire reinforced composite pipes are increasingly used in many different fields. The researchers usually focus on their mechanical properties. This paper establishes 3D CAD models of two kinds of steel wire reinforced composite pipes, and analyzes the displacements and stress distribution of the pipes under constant internal and external pressure by using FEA software, respectively. The differences between the mechanical properties of the two kinds of composite pipes are elaborated by comparing the displacements of the distribution curve along their corresponding paths. The results show that the braided steel wire reinforced composite pipes have better mechanical properties than the welded ones. That may be due to the crisscross that makes both the clockwise and counter-clockwise steel wires bear the same pressure.