US20090308587A1 - Precast thermal insulation for flowlines and risers - Google Patents
Precast thermal insulation for flowlines and risers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20090308587A1 US20090308587A1 US12/483,178 US48317809A US2009308587A1 US 20090308587 A1 US20090308587 A1 US 20090308587A1 US 48317809 A US48317809 A US 48317809A US 2009308587 A1 US2009308587 A1 US 2009308587A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- thermal insulation
- flowlines
- risers
- precast
- protective shell
- 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.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 22
- 230000001681 protective effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 239000004593 Epoxy Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 239000004005 microsphere Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 239000000088 plastic resin Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 239000011230 binding agent Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 239000011152 fibreglass Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 abstract description 5
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 abstract description 3
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000005266 casting Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920006332 epoxy adhesive Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000007792 addition Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920001903 high density polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000012774 insulation material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920001169 thermoplastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001187 thermosetting polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004416 thermosoftening plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B36/00—Heating, cooling or insulating arrangements for boreholes or wells, e.g. for use in permafrost zones
- E21B36/003—Insulating arrangements
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
- E21B17/01—Risers
-
- 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
- F16L59/02—Shape or form of insulating materials, with or without coverings integral with the insulating materials
- F16L59/021—Shape or form of insulating materials, with or without coverings integral with the insulating materials comprising a single piece or sleeve, e.g. split sleeves; consisting of two half sleeves; comprising more than two segments
- F16L59/024—Shape or form of insulating materials, with or without coverings integral with the insulating materials comprising a single piece or sleeve, e.g. split sleeves; consisting of two half sleeves; comprising more than two segments consisting of two half sleeves
Definitions
- the present invention relates to thermal insulation for flowlines and risers, and in particular to the high performance syntactic foam thermal insulation for offshore flowlines and production risers.
- Epoxy/glass syntactic foam has been supplied to the offshore industry for over ten years as the premium solution to insulating subsea equipment under the most demanding conditions of depth and temperature.
- Precast thermal insulation for flowlines and risers includes an outer protective shell that has an exterior surface and an interior surface that together define a volume within the outer protective shell.
- High elongation syntactic foam insulation is located within the volume, and comprises microsphere and a semi-rigid epoxy plastic resin binder.
- the precast thermal insulation permits advanced materials to be used for risers and flowlines, including highly flexible systems for installation by reeling.
- the outer protective shell is semi-cylindrical and includes high elongation syntactic foam.
- the shell may be precast in the factory.
- the precasting permits rapid manufacture and curing of materials systems that generally cannot be readily cast directly onto pipe or applied by mixing and pouring in the field.
- the precast elements are then secured (e.g., bonded) to the pipe, for example, with a fast-curing but highly flexible epoxy adhesive.
- the resulting construction is as rugged and efficient as factory-coated coatings, but has the advantage of being assembled at the customer's reelbase, shipyard, on board ship, or wherever is most convenient and cost-effective.
- the present invention facilitates the use of advanced epoxy chemistry for greater flexibility, superior strength, and higher temperature resistance. It also has the advantage of offering the opportunity for increased local content.
- the actual assembly of the insulation sleeves onto the pipe can be performed quickly and easily on site by unskilled labor with simple equipment. Pipe handling is reduced, lead time is shortened, and delivery is fast and dependable.
- Insulating properties of the precast thermal insulation are equal to or better than any competing “wet” insulation material. Depth rating to about 10,000 feet and temperature resistance of about 250° F. or higher are available. Elongation-to-break is no less than about 20%. Typical thermal conductivity is about 0.08 Btu/hr-ft-F. A variety of different materials and constructions can be supplied.
- FIG. 1 is a partial cut-away illustration of a flowline that includes precast thermal insulation
- FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along lines 1 - 1 of the flowline that includes the precast thermal insulation of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 1 is a partially cut-a-way illustration of an insulated flowline 10 that includes a plurality of precast thermal insulating elements 12 - 17 radially mounted around a flowline 20 .
- the flowline may be, for example, a steel pipe that has a diameter of about 4 to 10 inches and a wall thickness typically 0.25 to 0.5 inches.
- Each of the precast thermal insulating elements includes outer skin (e.g., fiberglass) that may be is backed by a fibrous plastic liner.
- Each element includes an interior surface that is located radially proximate to the flowline, and an exterior surface that is radially distal from the flowline.
- the interior and exterior surfaces of each insulating element form a volume, which contains high elongation syntactic foam insulation comprising microspheres and a semi-rigid epoxy plastic resin.
- Each of the precast thermal insulating elements is preferably semi-cylindrical, and secured to the flowline 20 .
- the elements 12 - 17 may be secured to the flowline 20 with a fast-curing but highly flexible epoxy adhesive 18 .
- FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 1 - 1 of the insulated flowline 10 that includes the precast thermal insulation of FIG. 1 .
- Pre-casting the elements introduces a degree of freedom in the manufacturing process that enables, for example, the use of special-purpose thermoset or thermoplastic polymeric materials that would otherwise not be practical.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Thermal Insulation (AREA)
Abstract
Precast thermal insulation for flowlines and risers includes an outer protective shell that has an exterior surface and an interior surface that together define a volume within the outer protective shell. High elongation syntactic foam insulation is located within the volume, and comprises microsphere and a semi-rigid epoxy plastic resin binder. The precast thermal insulation permits advanced materials to be used for risers and flowlines, including highly flexible systems for installation by reeling.
Description
- This application claims priority from the provisional application designated Ser. No. 61/060,580 filed Jun. 11, 2008 and entitled “Precast Thermal Insulation for Flowlines and Risers”. This application is hereby incorporated by reference.
- The present invention relates to thermal insulation for flowlines and risers, and in particular to the high performance syntactic foam thermal insulation for offshore flowlines and production risers.
- Epoxy/glass syntactic foam has been supplied to the offshore industry for over ten years as the premium solution to insulating subsea equipment under the most demanding conditions of depth and temperature.
- There is a need for improved thermal insulation for flowlines and risers.
- Precast thermal insulation for flowlines and risers includes an outer protective shell that has an exterior surface and an interior surface that together define a volume within the outer protective shell. High elongation syntactic foam insulation is located within the volume, and comprises microsphere and a semi-rigid epoxy plastic resin binder.
- The precast thermal insulation permits advanced materials to be used for risers and flowlines, including highly flexible systems for installation by reeling.
- In one embodiment the outer protective shell is semi-cylindrical and includes high elongation syntactic foam. The shell may be precast in the factory. The precasting permits rapid manufacture and curing of materials systems that generally cannot be readily cast directly onto pipe or applied by mixing and pouring in the field. The precast elements are then secured (e.g., bonded) to the pipe, for example, with a fast-curing but highly flexible epoxy adhesive. The resulting construction is as rugged and efficient as factory-coated coatings, but has the advantage of being assembled at the customer's reelbase, shipyard, on board ship, or wherever is most convenient and cost-effective.
- By separating the factory casting operation from the field installation activity, the present invention facilitates the use of advanced epoxy chemistry for greater flexibility, superior strength, and higher temperature resistance. It also has the advantage of offering the opportunity for increased local content. The actual assembly of the insulation sleeves onto the pipe can be performed quickly and easily on site by unskilled labor with simple equipment. Pipe handling is reduced, lead time is shortened, and delivery is fast and dependable.
- Insulating properties of the precast thermal insulation are equal to or better than any competing “wet” insulation material. Depth rating to about 10,000 feet and temperature resistance of about 250° F. or higher are available. Elongation-to-break is no less than about 20%. Typical thermal conductivity is about 0.08 Btu/hr-ft-F. A variety of different materials and constructions can be supplied.
- These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a partial cut-away illustration of a flowline that includes precast thermal insulation; and -
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along lines 1-1 of the flowline that includes the precast thermal insulation ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 1 is a partially cut-a-way illustration of an insulated flowline 10 that includes a plurality of precast thermal insulating elements 12-17 radially mounted around aflowline 20. The flowline may be, for example, a steel pipe that has a diameter of about 4 to 10 inches and a wall thickness typically 0.25 to 0.5 inches. Each of the precast thermal insulating elements includes outer skin (e.g., fiberglass) that may be is backed by a fibrous plastic liner. Each element includes an interior surface that is located radially proximate to the flowline, and an exterior surface that is radially distal from the flowline. The interior and exterior surfaces of each insulating element form a volume, which contains high elongation syntactic foam insulation comprising microspheres and a semi-rigid epoxy plastic resin. - Each of the precast thermal insulating elements is preferably semi-cylindrical, and secured to the
flowline 20. For example, the elements 12-17 may be secured to theflowline 20 with a fast-curing but highlyflexible epoxy adhesive 18. -
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 1-1 of the insulated flowline 10 that includes the precast thermal insulation ofFIG. 1 . - Manufacturing techniques are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,121,767, 6,827,110 and 6,058,979 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
- Pre-casting the elements introduces a degree of freedom in the manufacturing process that enables, for example, the use of special-purpose thermoset or thermoplastic polymeric materials that would otherwise not be practical.
- Although the present invention has been shown and described with respect to several preferred embodiments thereof, various changes, omissions and additions to the form and detail thereof, may be made therein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (4)
1. Precast thermal insulation for flowlines and risers, comprising:
an outer protective shell that has an exterior surface and an interior surface that together define a volume within the outer protective shell; and
high elongation syntactic foam insulation located within the volume, comprising microsphere and a semi-rigid epoxy plastic resin binder.
2. The precast thermal insulation of claim 1 , wherein the outer protective shell is fiberglass.
3. The precast thermal insulation of claim 2 , further comprises macrospheres within the volume.
4. The precast thermal insulation of claim 2 , wherein the outer protective shell is semi-cylindrical.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US12/483,178 US20090308587A1 (en) | 2008-06-11 | 2009-06-11 | Precast thermal insulation for flowlines and risers |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US6058008P | 2008-06-11 | 2008-06-11 | |
| US12/483,178 US20090308587A1 (en) | 2008-06-11 | 2009-06-11 | Precast thermal insulation for flowlines and risers |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| US20090308587A1 true US20090308587A1 (en) | 2009-12-17 |
Family
ID=41413703
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US12/483,178 Abandoned US20090308587A1 (en) | 2008-06-11 | 2009-06-11 | Precast thermal insulation for flowlines and risers |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US20090308587A1 (en) |
Citations (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4482590A (en) * | 1983-08-09 | 1984-11-13 | Syncom International, Inc. | Deep water flotation devices |
| US4744842A (en) * | 1985-01-17 | 1988-05-17 | Webco Limited | Method of making a coated pipeline |
| US4900488A (en) * | 1987-09-25 | 1990-02-13 | Shell Oil Company | Method of manufacturing a syntactic sleeve for insulating a pipeline |
| US5837739A (en) * | 1995-06-07 | 1998-11-17 | Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation | Loaded syntactic foam-core material |
| US6058979A (en) * | 1997-07-23 | 2000-05-09 | Cuming Corporation | Subsea pipeline insulation |
| US6284809B1 (en) * | 1999-12-07 | 2001-09-04 | Emerson & Cuming Composite Materials Inc. | Thermally insulating syntactic foam composition |
| US6827110B2 (en) * | 2002-01-07 | 2004-12-07 | Cuming Corporation | Subsea insulated pipeline with pre-cured syntactic elements and methods of manufacture |
| US7121767B1 (en) * | 2001-11-14 | 2006-10-17 | Cuming Corporation | Rugged foam buoyancy modules and method of manufacture |
-
2009
- 2009-06-11 US US12/483,178 patent/US20090308587A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4482590A (en) * | 1983-08-09 | 1984-11-13 | Syncom International, Inc. | Deep water flotation devices |
| US4744842A (en) * | 1985-01-17 | 1988-05-17 | Webco Limited | Method of making a coated pipeline |
| US4900488A (en) * | 1987-09-25 | 1990-02-13 | Shell Oil Company | Method of manufacturing a syntactic sleeve for insulating a pipeline |
| US5837739A (en) * | 1995-06-07 | 1998-11-17 | Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation | Loaded syntactic foam-core material |
| US6058979A (en) * | 1997-07-23 | 2000-05-09 | Cuming Corporation | Subsea pipeline insulation |
| US6284809B1 (en) * | 1999-12-07 | 2001-09-04 | Emerson & Cuming Composite Materials Inc. | Thermally insulating syntactic foam composition |
| US7121767B1 (en) * | 2001-11-14 | 2006-10-17 | Cuming Corporation | Rugged foam buoyancy modules and method of manufacture |
| US6827110B2 (en) * | 2002-01-07 | 2004-12-07 | Cuming Corporation | Subsea insulated pipeline with pre-cured syntactic elements and methods of manufacture |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CUMING CORPORATION, MASSACHUSETTS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:WATKINS, LOU;REEL/FRAME:022894/0227 Effective date: 20090618 |
|
| STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |