Insulating foams

Why and where they are used
Insulating foams are used to help achieve the thermal requirements of a pipeline.  They assist in maintaining the temperature of the line in order to avoid the formation of hydrates or wax.  In oil lines wax may start to form if the temperature drops below a critical point.  The wax will deposit on the pipe walls and restrict the flow.  In gas lines, hydrates may start to form if the temperature gets too low or if excessive water enters the line, with a similar effect.  These restrictions in flow can significantly reduce the throughput of the line, often with considerable economic implications.

Insulating foams are primarily used on flowlines carrying unprocessed well fluids.  This makes them particularly relevant in deep water where considerable cost savings can be made by having several wellheads tied-back to a single processing facility.

Jee technology and experience
Jee has worked with insulating foams for many years. Accordingly, we have accumulated experience and developed technological solutions in the following areas:

Thermal analysis:  development of calculation sheets (primarily in Mathcad) for the thermal analysis of insulating coatings.
Foam properties:  trials to test the physical properties of insulating foams.
Analytical models:  development of analytical models that incorporate through-life creep.
Water diffusion:  development of a water diffusion model.
Software development:  developed a suite of software for a major coating manufacturer.
Finite element analysis:  FE analysis of complex-shaped systems.
Computational fluid dynamics:  CFD of insulating housings.

• Pre-FEED:  Initial assessment of thermal and coating requirements.
• FEED:
• Developing specification of thermal requirements and detailed coating structure.
• Design of thermal insulation for components and systems.
• Assessment of through-life performance.
• Technical support:
• Development of specialist software.
• Support of material testing.