Pipe-in-Pipe Insulation Using Krypton and Aerogel for Subsea Heat Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Subsea pipelines face challenges in maintaining high temperature and pressure to prevent wax and hydrate deposition, which leads to costly and difficult plug removal, especially in longer pipelines where thermal management is harder and active heating methods are expensive and difficult to optimize.
Innovation Solution
A pipe-in-pipe (PiP) construction with an annulus filled with a noble gas, such as krypton, and a microporous solid insulating material like silica aerogel, providing enhanced thermal insulation by reducing thermal conductivity and preventing chemical reactions and corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If active heating systems (electrical trace heating or heat exchange) are used to maintain high temperature in subsea pipelines, then thermal management effectiveness is improved, but cost and system complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from complex active systems and relocates it to the insulation layer itself. The insulation material contains heating elements or phase change materials that generate and retain heat locally within the pipeline wall, eliminating the need for separate trace heating systems or external heat exchange equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the thermal insulation function with the heating function into a single integrated structure. The insulation layer combines low-conductivity materials with heating capabilities, creating a multi-functional component that both insulates and actively maintains temperature, reducing overall system complexity.
2Temperature
If electrical trace heating is used to maintain pipeline temperature, then thermal management is improved, but energy consumption and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs phase change materials that periodically absorb and release thermal energy. These materials melt during the day absorbing heat and freeze at night releasing stored heat, creating a periodic thermal regulation system that reduces continuous energy input requirements compared to traditional electrical heating.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the typically harmful heat loss to seawater into a beneficial thermal storage mechanism. The large thermal mass of the insulation layer and phase change materials captures excess heat during warm periods and releases it during cold periods, transforming what would be energy waste into a free heating source.
3Length of moving object
If longer subsea pipelines are deployed to reach remote oil and gas reserves, then resource accessibility is improved, but thermal management difficulty and heat loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary thermal insulation treatment during pipeline construction by integrating high-performance insulation layers and phase change materials into the pipeline structure before deployment. This preliminary action ensures thermal protection is already in place for the entire pipeline length, preventing cumulative heat loss over long distances rather than attempting to compensate for it afterward.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution offers efficient thermal insulation comparable to deep vacuum conditions without the challenges of achieving and maintaining a vacuum, reducing the risk of leakage and extending the operational life of pipelines while being cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
The insulating material is a microporous material, and it is believed that the thermal insulation performance of the insulating material is enhanced by the presence of the noble gas in the annular gap through the so-called Knudsen effect
Implementation Method 2
the annulus contains a noble gas, such as krypton, and a microporous solid insulating material like silica aerogel, providing enhanced thermal insulation by reducing thermal conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe-in-pipe section comprises an inner pipe spaced within an outer pipe to define an annulus between the inner and outer pipes. The annulus contains a solid insulating material, which may be a microporous aerogel, and an inert gas such as krypton at near-atmospheric pressure.