Pipeline Joint Cladding for Corrosion-Resistant Field Welding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Field Joint Coating (FJC) application in long fluid conduits like pipelines is challenging due to difficulties in robotic crawler access, especially for curved or long pipe configurations, leading to inferior field coating quality and increased risk of corrosion, as controlled conditions for temperature, humidity, and cleanliness are hard to maintain in the field.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a tubular arrangement with a carbon steel main body and a beveled edge, where a corrosion-resistant cladding, such as alloy 625, is deposited along the inner surface extending from the end into the tubular, combined with an epoxy coating, and a galvanic protection system to reduce galvanic corrosion, eliminating the need for field-applied internal coatings by using a full penetration weld with a compatible alloy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If field welding is performed to join individual tubulars, then pipeline construction can proceed, but the factory applied coating at pipe end joints is damaged and requires additional field coating application

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepipeline construction progressVSAvoidcoating quality at joints

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by depositing corrosion resistant cladding on the inner surface of tubulars at the factory before field welding. This pre-applied cladding ensures that the joint areas are already protected against corrosion, eliminating the need for additional field coating applications and ensuring consistent coating quality regardless of field conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If robotic crawler is used for field coating application, then coating can be applied to welded joints, but access is difficult in curved or long pipe configurations and coating quality is inferior

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoating application capabilityVSAvoidcoating quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the coating application process from the field operation and relocates it to the factory environment. By depositing corrosion resistant cladding on the inner surface during factory fabrication, the need for field coating operations with robotic crawlers is eliminated entirely, avoiding all associated access and quality issues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If field coating is applied to protect welded joints, then corrosion risk is reduced, but controlled conditions for temperature, humidity, and cleanliness are hard to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecorrosion protectionVSAvoidcoating application conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs the coating action preliminarily during factory fabrication when controlled environmental conditions are easily maintained. By depositing corrosion resistant cladding on the inner surface in the factory before field installation, the process benefits from controlled temperature, humidity, and cleanliness conditions, ensuring high reliability of corrosion protection without the difficulties of field condition control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If multiple coating applications are performed (factory coating plus field coating), then corrosion protection is enhanced, but construction time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecorrosion resistanceVSAvoidconstruction schedule

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the corrosion protection function into a single cladding layer applied during factory fabrication. This single comprehensive protective layer eliminates the need for separate field coating operations, maintaining high corrosion resistance while significantly reducing construction time and operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 reduces the risk of corrosion and schedule delays in pipeline construction by ensuring consistent, high-quality corrosion resistance without the need for field-applied coatings, improving the structural integrity and reducing the likelihood of leaks and failures.

Implementation Method 1

The corrosion resistant cladding is deposited along an inner surface of the carbon steel main body. The corrosion resistant cladding includes two layers of weld overlay.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWeld overlay deposition: Deposition (physical)

Implementation Method 2

A galvanic protection system is configured to reduce galvanic corrosion between the carbon steel and the corrosion resistant cladding.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGalvanic corrosion protection:

Data Source

PatentUS11655929B2Reducing the risk of corrosion in pipelines

Publication Date: 2023.05.23 SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO

AI summary

A carbon steel main body defines a flow passage. The carbon steel main body includes an end. The carbon steel main body includes a beveled edge at the end. A corrosion resistant cladding is deposited along an inner surface of the carbon steel main body. The corrosion resistant cladding extends from the end to a distance into the carbon steel main body.