Phase change insulation for subsea flowlines
US6000438A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 13, 1998 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 13, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/14
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A subsea flowline or pipeline with passive insulation having improved transient heat-loss characteristics. The flowline or pipeline has a phase change material insulating the flowline pipe joints and/or pipe sections to greatly extend the cooldown time of produced or processed hydrocarbon fluid mixtures being transported therethrough during shut-in conditions. The phase change material surrounds a carrier pipe of the flowline or pipeline. The phase change material may be either dispersed or encapsulated within standard insulation. Additional insulation and/or a jacket pipe surrounds the phase change material and holds it against the carrier pipe. The phase change material can be of a micro-encapsulated or bulk-encapsulated type.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.