GB2370870A - Insulated double-walled pipe structures - Google Patents
Insulated double-walled pipe structures Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2370870A GB2370870A GB0116136A GB0116136A GB2370870A GB 2370870 A GB2370870 A GB 2370870A GB 0116136 A GB0116136 A GB 0116136A GB 0116136 A GB0116136 A GB 0116136A GB 2370870 A GB2370870 A GB 2370870A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- double
- insulation material
- walled pipe
- pipe structure
- insulation
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L7/00—Supporting of pipes or cables inside other pipes or sleeves, e.g. for enabling pipes or cables to be inserted or withdrawn from under roads or railways without interruption of traffic
- F16L7/02—Supporting of pipes or cables inside other pipes or sleeves, e.g. for enabling pipes or cables to be inserted or withdrawn from under roads or railways without interruption of traffic and sealing the pipes or cables inside the other pipes, cables or sleeves
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L59/00—Thermal insulation in general
- F16L59/06—Arrangements using an air layer or vacuum
- F16L59/065—Arrangements using an air layer or vacuum using vacuum
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Insulation (AREA)
- Laminated Bodies (AREA)
Abstract
An insulation material 3 for a double-walled pipe structure 1,2 comprises a composite of a resin and an insulating particulate material. The particulate material can be glass, alumino-silicate microspheres or a suitable polymer such as polyethylene. It is preferably provided with a particle size of less than 1mm, more preferably less than 0.1mm. A suitable resin is epoxy or a phenolic resin such as a syntactic foam. It preferably fills between 25% and 100% of the interstices between the particulate material. The insulation material can be used as a bulkhead 3 between the inner and outer pipes 1,2, with further insulating material 4 being provided between adjacent bulkheads 3. Alternatively, the insulation material can be produced as half-annular solid components (see figure 4).
Description
BULKHEADS FOR DOUBLE-WALLED PIPE STRUCTURES
The present invention relates to bulkheads for double-walled pipe structures.
Double-walled pipe structures are well-known for use in the sub-sea transportation of fluids at elevated temperatures. An inner flow pipes carries the fluid and is surrounded by an outer sleeve pipe. The annular space between the two can be filled with thermally insulating material, thereby preventing the fluid from cooling excessively. This is important in, for example, the transport of crude oil which leaves the well at temperatures above 80 C and contains a range of hydrocarbon fractions. If it is allowed to cool then higher molecular weight fractions may solidify and block the pipeline.
The present invention is intended to address difficulties encountered in the such pipelines. One problem is the water-tightness of the volume containing the insulation material. If water is allowed to penetrate into this volume, then it will act as a convective heat transfer medium and destroy the insulative effect.
Accordingly, it is usual to include a"waterstop"bulkhead at intervals. Previously these have consisted of annular rings of an elastomeric material that are compressed longitudinally by mechanical means to seal them against the inner and outer pipes. It is desired to improve further on this arrangement.
Another problem is that of thermal insulation at the joins between pipe sections. It is necessary to have access to the flow pipe in order to join adjacent sections, and therefore the sleeve pipe is usually formed short of the end of the flow pipe. This allows installation engineers to join a new section of pipeline by first welding the flow pipes and then either sliding the sleeve pipe into place or by welding a pair of short"half-shells"in place around the gap.
However the join is covered, it is necessary to provide insulation in the annulus around the join. Previously, this has been done by packing a fibrous material such as mineral wool. However, fibrous materials are not preferred since (as noted above) they lose all thermal insulation if they become wet. The material used between joins are generally difficult to handle in the field and not suitable for use at the join.
The present invention therefore provides an insulation material for a doublewalled pipe structure comprising a composite of a resin and an insulating particulate material.
The particulate material can be glass or a suitable polymer such as polyethylene, or a particulate insulation material such as alumino-silicate microspheres. It is preferably provided with a particle size of less than 1 mm, more preferably less than 0. 1 mm.
A suitable resin is epoxy. It preferably fills between 25% and 100% of the interstices between the particulate material.
An alternative resin is a phenolic resin, in particular syntactic foams.
The present invention also provides a double-walled pipe structure with at least one annular bulkhead in the space between the inner and outer pipes, the bulkhead being of any of the insulation materials defined above. This can seal a further insulation material into the annular space behind the bulkhead. If desired, a layer can be provided between the bulkhead and the further insulation material.
Suitable layers include polymeric films such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and glass reinforced polymers.
A bulkhead of this type can be formed by casting the insulation material to a suitable shape, placing the cast item into the space between the pipes, and sealing around the extremities of the cast item to the pipes. An adhesive composition will provide suitable sealing. Alternatively, it can be poured into the annular space over the further insulation material and allowed to cure in place. This removes the need for sealing. It may be useful to include a layer between the curing bulkhead and the further insulation material in order to hinder mixing.
The present invention also provides a solid insulating material formed of a composite of a resin and an insulating particulate material in a half-annular shape.
This is especially useful in joining sections of double-walled pipe structures since it can be fitted in place without difficulty. The composite is sufficiently robust to withstand normal handling and can therefore be treated as a solid item.
The half-annulus can be formed with cylindrical recesses. These will then accommodate a weld bead.
It is preferred that the half-annular shell is bonded on at least one cylindrical face to a steel structure. This can be the steel half-shell which is to be welded in place at the join. The bonding can be by way of an adhesive.
The present invention also provides an assembly of a double-walled pipe structure in which there is at least one join, the join including at least one halfannular block of insulation material around the join between the inner pipes, the insulation material being as defined above.
The half-annular shell can be bonded in position after welding, or the bonding completed after welding. Thus, the block of insulation material is preferably bonded to at least one and preferably both pipes of the double-walled pipe structure. Again, the bonding can be by way of an adhesive.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which;
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a double-walled pipe structure incorporating a bulkhead according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a double-walled pipe structure incorporating an alternative bulkhead according to the present invention;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the joint region of a double-walled pipe structure; and
Figure 4 is a transverse section through the joint region.
In Figure 1, a pipeline is shown that comprises an outer sleeve 1 and an inner flow pipe 2, with bulkheads 3 dividing the inter-pipe space into sections containing an insulation material 4.
Suitable materials the bulkheads are set out above. Once cured, both epoxy resins and syntactic foams are suitable for operation at temperatures in excess of 1 50 C and offer good thermal insulation. The thermal properties are improved still further by including a second phase within the composition such as glasses, polymeric materials and alumino-silicate microspheres, a known particulate insulation material. The second phase can also act as a filler/extender and improve
mechanical properties such as toughness. A suitable syntactic foam is a phenolic
composition manufactured by Alderley Materials under the brand name of L'2 ; 3 M) 'ContrathermV. The foam is moulable and cures at ambient temperatures or just
above to form a rigid structure. A preferred epoxy resin is Permabond DE244. When used with a microsphere filler, the resin occupies the interstitial voids between the spherical microspheres which hence exhibit a packing density of around 65%.
The bulkheads 3 are typically formed by casting to shape outside the pipe structure and placing them within the annulus. They can then be sealed by adhesive layers 5 which secure them to the inner and outer pipes 1,2.
Figure 2 shows an alternative form. The bulkheads 3 are cast in place within the annulus. Prior to casting, the insulation material 4 is inserted. This is then covered with a protective layer 6 and the still flowable material of the bulkhead 3 is poured in and allowed to set in place. A further protective layer 7 can optionally be inserted and the next section of insulation material 4 inserted.
The protective layers 6,7 prevent the flowable material of the bulkhead from impregnating the insulation material 4. Whilst this is not problematic of itself, it may prevent sufficient material from remaining in place. This could be overcome by adding further material, or by adding when the viscosity has risen due to partial curing, or by use of protective layers as shown. The protective layers should be impermeable, but can be flexible such as a polymeric film of (for example) polyethylene or polypropylene or rigid such as glass reinforced polymer (GRP), or of an intermediate stiffness. It can extend to the edges of the annulus but this will probably not be necessary in most instances.
Referring to Figure 3, the outer sleeve pipe 10 surrounds an inner sleeve pipe 12 which carries the fluid to be transported. In the annular space 14 there is an insulation material, except at the region of the join 16 where access needs to be provided to the inner flow pipe 12 in order to allow adjacent sections to be joined.
The weld 16 consists of a direct butt weld between the inner flow pipes 12.
The outer sleeve pipes 10 are each formed short of the inner flow pipes 12 so that access is possible to form the butt weld, and therefore they adjoined via 2 halfshells 18-20 which are formed by longitudinally dividing a short cylindrical section into two halves. Other methods adjoining the outer sleeve pipes 10 are known, but these also require access to be provided to the inner sleeve pipes and therefore the same difficulty will arise.
Figure 4 shows how insulation can be provided around the join 16. The two half shells 18-20 can be seen, together with the weld beads 22,24 adjoining them.
The pair of half-annular insulation blocks 26,28 between them substantially fill the annular volume between the inner flow pipe 12 and the outer half shells 18-20.
Each half-annular insulation block is bonded to the outer half open shell 18 or 20 via an adhesive layer 30 and to the inner flow pipe via an adhesive layer 32.
The insulation blocks are a composite of a resin and a particulate insulation material such as microspheres. The microspheres can be glass or polythene with a particulate size which is preferably below 0. 1 mm but can be up to 1mm in particular applications.
The resin can be either an epoxy or a phenolic resin. Epoxy resins such as
DE244 have been found to be particular suitable, and preferably filled between 30 and 100% of the intestacies between the particulate material. Of phenolic resins, syntactic foam resins such as Contratherm'"exhibit suitable properties.
The particulate block is typically formed to shape and can then either be positioned prior to welding or bonded to the outer half shell with a suitable adhesive. It can be provided with cylindrical recesses to accommodate the weld bead if desired. Once in place in the annular space, additional adhesive can be introduced to bond it on the remaining or both sides, such as to the inner flow pipe if it has already been bonded to the outer sleeves.
Through the present invention, a stable and rigid insulation block is provided which can be fitted in place easily in a field if necessary. Nevertheless, the insulation offered by the composite material is sufficient to allow the double walled pipe structure to operate satisfactorily. It is also superior to known insulation materials which are capable of being applied in the fields since it is more resistant to water ingress.
It will be appreciated that many variations will be made to describe embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Claims (30)
- CLAIMS 1. An insulation material for a double-walled pipe structure comprising a composite of a resin and an insulating particulate material.
- 2. An insulation material according to claim 1 in which the particulate material is glass.
- 3. An insulation material according to claim 1 in which the particulate material is a polymeric material.
- 4. An insulation material according to claim 1 in which the particulate material is polyethylene.
- 5. An insulation material according to claim 1 in which the particulate material is alumino-silicate microspheres.
- 6. An insulation material according to any one of the preceding claims in which the particulate material has a particle size of less than 1 mm.
- 7. An insulation material according to any one of the preceding claims in which the particulate material has a particle size of less than 0. 1 mm.
- 8. An insulation material according to any one of the preceding claims in which the resin is epoxy.
- 9. An insulation material according to any one of claims 1 to 7 in which the resin is phenolic.
- 10. An insulation material according to claim 9 in which the resin is a syntactic foam.
- 11. An insulation material according to any one of the preceding claims in which the resin fills between 25% and 100% of the interstices between the particulate material.
- 12. A double-walled pipe structure with at least one annular bulkhead in the space between the inner and outer pipes, the bulkhead being an insulation materials according to any one of the preceding claims.
- 13. A double-walled pipe structure according to claim 12 in which there is a further insulation material in the annular space between the pipes of the double-walled structure, behind the bulkhead.
- 14. A double-walled pipe structure according to claim 13 in which a layer is provided between the bulkhead and the further insulation material.
- 15. A double-walled pipe structure according to claim 14 in which the layer is one of a polymeric films, a polyethylene sheet, a polypropylene sheet, and a glass reinforced polymers sheet.
- 16. A method of manufacturing an insulated double-walled pipe structure comprising the steps of forming the double-walled pipe structure, casting an insulation material according to any one of claims 1 to 11 to a suitable shape, placing the cast item into the space between the pipes, and sealing around the extremities of the cast item to the pipes.
- 17. A method of manufacturing an insulated double-walled pipe structure comprising the steps of forming the double-walled pipe structure, inserting a bulk material into the space between the pipes thereof, pouring an curable insulation material into the annular space over the bulk insulation material and allowing it to cure in place, the curable insulation material being according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
- 18. A method according to claim 17 in which a layer is provided between the curable material and the bulk insulation material.
- 19. A double-walled pipe structure according to claim 18 in which the layer is one of a polymeric films, a polyethylene sheet, a polypropylene sheet, and a glass reinforced polymers sheet.
- 20. A solid insulating material formed of a composite of a resin and an insulating particulate material in a half-annular shape.
- 21. A solid insulating material for joining sections of double-walled pipe structures, formed of a composite of a resin and an insulating particulate material in a half-annular shape.
- 22. A solid insulating material according to claim 20 or claim 21 in which the half-annulus is formed with cylindrical recesses.
- 23. A solid insulating material according to any one of claims 20 to 22 in which the half-annular shell is bonded on at least one cylindrical face to a steel structure.
- 24. A solid insulating material according to claim 23 in which the steel structure is a steel half-shell.
- 25. A solid insulating material according to claim 23 or claim 24 in which the bonding is by way of an adhesive.
- 26. An assembly of a double-walled pipe structures in which there is at least one join, the join including at least one half-annular block of insulation material around the join between the inner pipes, the insulation material being according to any one of the preceding claims.
- 27. An assembly of a double-walled pipe structures according to claim 26 in which the block of insulation material is bonded to at least one pipe of the double-walled pipe structure.
- 28. An assembly of a double-walled pipe structures according to claim 27 in which the bonding is by way of an adhesive.
- 29. An insulation material for a double-walled pipe structure substantially as any one described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying figures.
- 30. An double-walled pipe structure substantially as any one described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying figures.
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0116136A GB2370870B (en) | 2001-01-05 | 2001-06-29 | Bulkheads for double-walled pipe structures |
AU2002216297A AU2002216297A1 (en) | 2001-01-05 | 2002-01-04 | Bulkheads for double-walled pipe structures |
PCT/GB2002/000038 WO2002053960A2 (en) | 2001-01-05 | 2002-01-04 | Bulkheads for double-walled pipe structures |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0100262A GB2358055B (en) | 2000-01-07 | 2001-01-05 | Improved insulated pipework system |
GB0116136A GB2370870B (en) | 2001-01-05 | 2001-06-29 | Bulkheads for double-walled pipe structures |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB0116136D0 GB0116136D0 (en) | 2001-08-22 |
GB2370870A true GB2370870A (en) | 2002-07-10 |
GB2370870B GB2370870B (en) | 2005-08-10 |
Family
ID=26245531
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB0116136A Expired - Fee Related GB2370870B (en) | 2001-01-05 | 2001-06-29 | Bulkheads for double-walled pipe structures |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU2002216297A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2370870B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002053960A2 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2004053380A1 (en) * | 2002-12-12 | 2004-06-24 | Kingspan Holdings (Irl) Limited | Insulating foam sections |
WO2004069766A1 (en) * | 2003-02-08 | 2004-08-19 | Technical Lightweight Composites Ltd | Composite materials |
FR2859518A1 (en) * | 2003-09-08 | 2005-03-11 | Technip France | Centering spacer for rigid, roll-up, double-walled pipe used in subsea hydrocarbon transport, includes low thermal conductivity material in plastic polymer envelope |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN103438330B (en) * | 2013-08-27 | 2015-06-10 | 浙江创想节能科技有限公司 | Ultrahigh-temperature heat-insulation device |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2040011A (en) * | 1979-01-08 | 1980-08-20 | Berry A | Thermally insulated piping systems |
EP0380163A2 (en) * | 1989-01-24 | 1990-08-01 | Shell Internationale Researchmaatschappij B.V. | Method for thermally insulating a pipeline |
WO1999005447A1 (en) * | 1997-07-23 | 1999-02-04 | Cuming Corporation | Subsea pipeline insulation |
GB2346424A (en) * | 1999-01-13 | 2000-08-09 | Kvaerner Oil & Gas Ltd | Subsea pipeline |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
NL299406A (en) * | 1963-10-17 | |||
GB1483143A (en) * | 1976-03-03 | 1977-08-17 | Weldwise Installations Ltd | Method of joining insulated metal pipes |
GB9912451D0 (en) * | 1999-05-27 | 1999-07-28 | Saipem Spa | Insulated pipe structure and methods of making such structures |
GB2358055B (en) * | 2000-01-07 | 2004-04-07 | Corus Uk Ltd | Improved insulated pipework system |
-
2001
- 2001-06-29 GB GB0116136A patent/GB2370870B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2002
- 2002-01-04 WO PCT/GB2002/000038 patent/WO2002053960A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2002-01-04 AU AU2002216297A patent/AU2002216297A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2040011A (en) * | 1979-01-08 | 1980-08-20 | Berry A | Thermally insulated piping systems |
EP0380163A2 (en) * | 1989-01-24 | 1990-08-01 | Shell Internationale Researchmaatschappij B.V. | Method for thermally insulating a pipeline |
WO1999005447A1 (en) * | 1997-07-23 | 1999-02-04 | Cuming Corporation | Subsea pipeline insulation |
GB2346424A (en) * | 1999-01-13 | 2000-08-09 | Kvaerner Oil & Gas Ltd | Subsea pipeline |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2004053380A1 (en) * | 2002-12-12 | 2004-06-24 | Kingspan Holdings (Irl) Limited | Insulating foam sections |
US8343396B2 (en) | 2002-12-12 | 2013-01-01 | Kingspan Holdings (Irl) Limited | Insulating foam sections |
WO2004069766A1 (en) * | 2003-02-08 | 2004-08-19 | Technical Lightweight Composites Ltd | Composite materials |
FR2859518A1 (en) * | 2003-09-08 | 2005-03-11 | Technip France | Centering spacer for rigid, roll-up, double-walled pipe used in subsea hydrocarbon transport, includes low thermal conductivity material in plastic polymer envelope |
WO2005028938A1 (en) * | 2003-09-08 | 2005-03-31 | Technip France | Improved spacing and centring device for a rigid double-wall duct with a low heat transfer coefficient |
US7318453B2 (en) | 2003-09-08 | 2008-01-15 | Technip France | Spacing and centering device for a rigid double-wall duct with a low heat transfer coefficient |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2002216297A1 (en) | 2002-07-16 |
WO2002053960A2 (en) | 2002-07-11 |
WO2002053960A3 (en) | 2002-10-17 |
GB0116136D0 (en) | 2001-08-22 |
GB2370870B (en) | 2005-08-10 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20180629 |