Response of perforated composite tubes subjected to axial compressive loading

Perforated and slotted tubes are widely used as liners in oil and gas industry to facilitate the collection of products from reservoirs, and prevent sand migration to wellbore, which in return could cause product contamination and affect functionality of the pumps. The objective of this research is to establish the critical axial load of perforated E-glass/epoxy tubes using numerical and experimental methods. Firstly, in an experimental attempt, a total of six sets of composite tubes (three sets with perforations and three sets of intact (non perforated) tubes), having two different thicknesses and diameters, were fabricated and tested under axial compression. The reduction in the critical load and axial stiffness of the composite tubes was investigated experimentally. Secondly, a comprehensive numerical investigation was carried out, using the finite element method (FEM), to simulate the instability response of the intact and perforated composite tubes under compressive axial loading. The effect of various parameters such as the tube diameter, size, number of perforation and wall thickness were investigated in the current research. Good correlation is obtained between the experimental and numerical results. According to the results, the intact and perforated tubes showed similar instability mode shapes under the axial loading. However, the critical load and global stiffness of the perforated tubes were considerably reduced.