WO2012069437A1

WO2012069437A1 - Pipeline for conveying liquefied gas

Info

Publication number: WO2012069437A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/070610
Authority: WO
Inventors: Katrin Riesner
Original assignee: R&M Ship Technologies Gmbh
Priority date: 2010-11-23
Filing date: 2011-11-22
Publication date: 2012-05-31
Also published as: EP2643631A1; PL2643631T3; DE102010061797A1; DE102010061797B4; EP2643631B1; KR20130140770A; KR101842737B1

Abstract

A pipeline for conveying liquefied gas has a pipe (2) which is encapsulated by a cold insulation means and is supported with respect to an underlying surface (1). The pipe (2) is surrounded at a spacing by a vibratory pipe (4). A vibrator (21) is attached on each vibratory pipe (4).

Description

Pipeline for conveying liquefied gas

The invention relates to a pipeline for conveying liquefied gas, in particular on so-called LNG tankers, so tankers for the transport of liquefied natural gas.

So far, such LNG tankers have only been driven in waters at temperatures above 0 ° C or in light frost. In the future, LPG will also be transported in Arctic waters. As a result of the low air temperatures down to -50 ° C associated with high humidity and the spray, a thick layer of ice is formed on the equipment on a ship's deck. This is particularly disadvantageous for LNG pipelines. The thickness of a layer of ice on the pipes means that the functionality of fittings and the strength of the pipes due to the ice load are no longer guaranteed.

In the report of the US Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center "Assessment of Superstructure Ice Protection as Applied to Offshore Oil Operation Safety", September 2008,

ERDC / CRREL TR-08-14 describes that it is well known to cut off ice on the pipes and fittings with hammers. In order to avoid the damage occurring and the great effort required for this purpose, it has been proposed to surround the components located on the ship deck with plastic plates and to defrost them in some form by vibration. This technology has been found unsatisfactory. The invention is therefore based on the object to prevent the formation of ice on the pipes and to facilitate ice removal.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. The vibrating tube surrounds the pipe provided with a cold insulation for the transport of liquefied gas at a distance, so that a cavity is formed. The vibration tube itself can ice. It is freed from the ice by the vibration. The only in each case partially formed vibration pipes are connected together according to claim 1 by means of a sliding connection, which may be formed according to claim 3 as a vibrating pipe connector shell. According to claim 4, the tube is supported in the region of the sliding connection by means of a bearing on the ground. A reliable vibration transmission from the vibrator to the vibration tube is ensured by the measures according to claim 5. An advantageous embodiment of the vibration generation and transmission results from the claims 6 to 10. Further features, advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. It shows

1 shows a LNG pipe with vibration enclosure in side

Longitudinal view,

2 shows a cross section through the pipeline in the region of

Bearing according to the section line II-II in Fig. 1, 3 shows a longitudinal section through the pipeline in the region of

Bearing according to the section line III-III in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross section through the pipeline adjacent to a

Bearing according to the section line IV-IV in Fig. 3,

5 shows a detail corresponding to V in Fig. 4,

6 shows a cross section through the pipeline in the region of

Vibrator with vibrating rings according to the cutting line

VI-VI in Fig. 1,

7 shows a detail corresponding to VII from FIG. 6, FIG. 8 shows a cross section through the detail VII in FIG. 7 corresponding to the section line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7, FIG.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a pipe with a pipe bend, Fig. 10 is a plan view of a pipe with a pipe branch branch and

Fig. 11 shows a pipe with a fitting in side longitudinal view. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a LNG pipe laid on a deck 1 of a ship or other subsoil comprises an LNG pipe 2 with a cold insulation 3 made of insulating material, which generates a heat flow from outside into the pipe 2 should prevent. The abbreviation LNG pipe 2 is used below for a pipe in which liquid Natural gas is promoted. LNG stands for Liquid Natural Gas. The LNG tube 2 sheathed with the cold insulation 3 is in turn surrounded by a protective tube or sheath designed as a vibration tube 4, which - as can be seen, for example, in FIGS. 4 and 6 - has a radial distance from the cold insulation 3 that a substantially annular cylindrical, only filled with air cavity 5 is formed. There is no physical connection between the vibrating tube 4 and the LNG tube 2. The vibration tubes 4 are formed by half-shells 6, 7 consisting of sheet metal, which are connected to each other by means of a flange connection 8, as can be seen in FIG. 4.

Since the half-shells 6, 7 have a finite length, they are each connected to one another by means of a pipe-section-shaped vibrating pipe connector shell 9, in which the individual sections of the vibrating pipe 4 formed by interconnected half-shells 6, 7 are sealed in the manner of a sliding bearing are guided, as shown in FIG. 3 can be removed. The vibrating pipe connector shells 9 in turn consist of connector half-shells 9a, 9b, which are interconnected by means of flange connections 9c.

As also shown in FIG. 3, the sections of the vibrating tube 4 guided in the connector shell 9 have an end-to-end distance from each other. In this space, a bearing 10 is arranged for the coated with a cold insulation 3 LNG pipe 2, the lower half of the bearing shell 11 and its upper half bearing shell 12 with a

Sheet metal jacket 3 surround a covered cold insulation 3 and are connected to each other by means of a flange 10a. The lower bearing half-shell 11 is slidably supported on the deck 1 by means of a bearing shoe 13. The bearing shoe 13 passes through a lower opening 14 in the connector shell 9, where an ice water drain 15 is provided, as shown in FIG. 2 can be removed.

Each approximately centrally between two bearings 10 of a lower half ring 16 and an upper half ring 17 existing vibrator ring 18 is arranged, which is fixedly connected to the half-shells 6, 7 of the vibrating tube 4, as shown in FIG. 6 can be seen. The half-shells 6, 7 and the half-rings 16, 17 are - as can be seen in particular from FIG. 7 - connected to one another in a common flange connection 19. There is full-surface physical contact between the half-rings 16, 17 and the half-shells 6, 7, for example, by means of a welded connection 20 of the half-shells 6, 7 made of metal and half-rings 16, 17 (see FIG.

On the vibrator ring 18 designed as a commercial pneumatic vibrator vibrator 21 is arranged, which is fixedly mounted on a support plate 22, which in turn is in fixed vibration connection with the upper half ring 17 of the vibrator ring s 18. Vibrations of the vibrator 21 are thus transmitted to the vibrator ring 18. The vibrator 21 is surrounded by a vibrator housing 23 as a protective housing. The compressed air supply of the vibrator 21 via a compressed air main line 24, which is arranged in the cavity 5 and is guided through the entire pipeline. A compressed air connection line 25 leads to each vibrator 21. An exhaust air line 26 in turn leads out of the vibrator 21 into the open air.

6, the vibrator ring 18, namely the lower half-ring 16, is supported on the deck 1 via a bearing 28 consisting of rubber buffers 27, the rubber bumps 27 in turn being supported on an underside. support the lower support plate 29 which is attached to the lower half-ring 16 of the vibrator ring 18.

In each case between adjacent bearings 10 of the LNG tube 2, that is, between two mutually adjacent vibration tube connector shells 9, a vibration unit 30 is formed, which is substantially the corresponding portion of the vibration tube 4, the vibrator 21 with vibrator ring 18th and the associated details. Such a vibration unit 30 is supported via the vibrator ring 18 and the bearing 28 at its center.

If a pipe bend 31 is provided in the course of the pipeline, then a bearing 10 of the LNG pipe 2 is provided on one side of the pipe bend 31. The sheathing of the LNG tube 10 by a corresponding to the pipe bend 31 curved vibration tube 32 is formed at its ends as a respective sliding bearing 33, 34, so as in the area of the vibrating tube connecting shells 9. As further Fig. 9 can be removed, the arrangement is such that the vibrators 21 with vibrator rings 18 are arranged on the straight-line pipe sections immediately adjacent to the two ends 35, 36 of the curved vibration pipe 32.

If, as shown in FIG. 10, the LNG pipe 1 has a pipe branch 37, a so-called T-piece, then the corresponding pipe branch vibration pipe 38 at all three ends 39, 40, 41 in principle like a sliding bearing 42, 43, 44 formed. Adjacent to all three ends 39, 40, 41 vibrator rings 18 are arranged with vibrators 21 in the vibrating tube 4 and in the two branching vibrating tubes 4a and 4b. The branch pipe vibration pipe 38 is supported by a bearing 10 in the region of its end 39 adjacent to the LNG pipe 2. If - as shown in FIG. 11 - in the LNG pipe 2, a valve 45, so a valve or a slider is arranged at both ends of the fitting 45 surrounding insulating housing 46 each have a valve-vibration tube 47, 48 are provided , which receive the adjacent vibrating tube 4 in the manner of sliding bearings 49, 50. Both fitting vibration pipes 47, 48 are each supported by means of bearings 10 on the deck 1. Adjacent to the ends 51, 52 of the valve-vibration pipes 47, 48 4 vibrator rings 18 are provided with vibrators 21 on the opening into them vibration pipes, so that the hollow insulating housing 46 can be set in vibration. To operate the valve 45, the insulating housing 46 has a removable cover 53.

By commissioning the vibrators 21, the vibration tube 4 and possibly the curved vibration tube 32, or possibly the branch pipe 37 and the pipe branch vibrating pipe 38 and possibly the insulating housing 46 are set in vibration by the on ice is removed and removed.

Claims

claims

1. pipeline for conveying liquefied gas,

with a pipe (2) sheathed with a cold insulation (3) and supported against a substrate,

with the tube (2) with surrounding surrounding vibration pipes (4) and

with a vibrator (21) attached to each vibration tube (4).

2. Pipe according to claim 1, characterized

that adjacent vibrating tubes (4) are interconnected by means of a sliding connection.

3. Pipe according to claim 2, characterized in that

in that the sliding connection is designed as a vibration tube connector shell (9).

4. Pipe according to claim 2 or 3, characterized

that the pipe (2) with cold insulation (3) by means of an opening

(14) of the sliding connection passing through bearing (10) is supported on the ground.

5. Pipe according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized marked,

each vibrator (21) is mounted on the vibrating tube (4) by means of a vibrator ring (18).

6. Pipe according to claim 5, characterized in that

in that the vibrator ring (18) surrounds the vibration tube (4) in a vibration transmission connection.

7. Pipe according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized

in that the vibration tube (4) is supported on the ground by means of a damping bearing (28).

8. Pipe according to claim 5 and 7, characterized

that the vibrator ring (18) is supported on the damping bearing (28).

9. Pipe according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized marked,

that the vibrator (21) is designed as a compressed air vibrator.

10. Pipe according to claim 9, characterized

a compressed air main line (24) for supplying the vibrator (21) is arranged in the cavity (5) between the tube (2) with cold insulation (3) and the vibration tube (4).