Elastic Interaction in Bolted Flange Joints During Hot Bolting and Disassembly

The sequential removal or replacement of bolts of a bolted flange joint, while being considered a simple operation that involves untightening of bolts, can lead to failure of the remaining untightened bolts, damage the gasket, and harm other associated components. Additionally, challenges persist in ensuring system reliability and safety during hot bolting or single replacement of bolts. This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of the elastic interactions within bolted flange joints during the unloading of bolts such as that conducted during disassembly or hot bolting process. By analyzing the elastic interaction, common issues such as flange integrity loss and component damage can be effectively mitigated. Furthermore, the research seeks to enable more accurate predictions of flange behavior during untightening. This enhanced understanding could facilitate the development of more efficient tools or potentially enable the process to be performed safely without additional tools, provided safety factors are meticulously calculated. Ultimately, this study aims to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of systems that utilize hot bolting procedures and disassembly as a whole.