Subsea Pipe Heating Cable Insulation Without a Heavy Outer Jacket
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating devices for transporting multiphase hydrocarbon mixtures in deep water environments face challenges such as high costs, weight issues, and degradation due to water infiltration, leading to inefficient thermal insulation and potential damage to infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
A heating device with a peripheral space permeable to water, utilizing fluorinated organic polymers for the main electrical insulation layer that maintains dielectric resistance and mechanical strength, eliminating the need for a double steel envelope and allowing for conventional installation methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a double steel jacket (PiP) is used for thermal insulation, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but weight and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential function of thermal insulation from the complex double steel jacket structure and implements it through a simpler single pipe configuration with an insulating coating directly applied to the pipe surface, eliminating the need for the outer steel tube while maintaining thermal protection
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a thin film insulating coating (flexible shell) applied directly to the pipe surface to provide thermal insulation, replacing the bulky rigid double steel jacket structure with a lightweight flexible insulating layer that maintains thermal performance while significantly reducing weight
2Reliability
If a sealed peripheral space is used to protect heating cables, then protection from water is improved, but manufacturing complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the heating function from the complex sealed peripheral space structure and implements it through direct placement of heating cables on the pipe surface, eliminating the need for creating and sealing a peripheral space while maintaining heating effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The heating cables are designed to be self-adhering to the pipe surface through their own structural properties (such as adhesive layers or mechanical attachment features), eliminating the need for additional sealing structures or complex installation procedures to prevent water infiltration
3Temperature
If heating cables are placed in a peripheral space, then heating function is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the heating function directly with the pipe surface by placing heating cables in direct contact with the pipe exterior, combining the thermal transfer function and structural support into a single integrated configuration rather than separating them into distinct peripheral spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe surface serves multiple functions: it provides structural containment for the fluid, acts as a mounting surface for the heating cables, and serves as the thermal transfer path to the fluid, eliminating the need for separate dedicated heating structures
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
The solution provides a lightweight, cost-effective heating system capable of maintaining thermal energy delivery for up to 20 years in deep water environments, preventing water infiltration and ensuring continuous operation without compromising insulation performance.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heating cable (8) arranged within said at least one peripheral space (7)
Implementation Method 2
utilizing fluorinated organic polymers for the main electrical insulation layer that maintains dielectric resistance and mechanical strength
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
There is a need to provide a heating device for transporting a multiphase mixture of hydrocarbons which is able to supply thermal energy for a duration which may last as long as 20 years under severe pressure and temperature conditions and which makes it possible to dispense with the need for a heavy and expensive thermally insulating outer jacket. To that end, the present invention proposes a heating device for transporting a multiphase mixture of hydrocarbons that is notable in that its at least one peripheral space (7) is permeable to the water of the said expanse of water (3) and in that the main layer of electrical insulation is configured to form a water-resistant jacket around the at least one internal electrical element, the said main electrical insulation layer containing a fluorinated organic polymer. The invention also relates to the method for implementing said device.