Insulation and control of

temperature
Andrew Palmer

control of temperature: reasons to keep flow hot

in oil flows
viscosity increases rapidly as temperature falls
wax and asphaltenes may drop out at low
temperatures
in either gas or oil
solid hydrates may form
there may be process requirements to maintain
the temperature above stated limits

control of temperature: reasons to keep flow cold

upheaval buckling or large expansion

movements may be a problem at high
temperatures
LPG and LNG need to remain at low
temperatures
corrosion accelerates at high temperatures
high temperatures may thaw frozen ground

the thermal conductivity of a material is measured by

k

heat flow
(area)(time)(temperature gradient )

units W/m degC

dz
dy
dx
temperature

+
dx
x

y
z
x

heat flow rate through element = k

dydz
x

lower k implies better insulation (but remember that

convection and radiation may be important: k only accounts
for conduction)

the effectiveness of an insulation system is usually measured

by U value

heat flow
(area)(time)(temperature difference)

units W/m2 degC

lower U implies better insulation

1 0

q = U (1 0 ) per unit area

insulation demands are increasing

project

year

water
depth (m)

U
W/m2 deg C

temperature
C

Dunbar

1994

170

1.2

105

Etap

1998

90

1.2

155

Tchibeli

2000

200

0.55

80

Bonga

2005 1100

0.7

95

Forvie

2005

0.65

95

140

insulation
trade-off between good thermal properties and
good mechanical properties

material

thermal compressive
conductivity strength
W/m K
MPa
at 60C

aerogel at reduced pressure

aerogel at atmospheric pressure
air at atmospheric pressure (with no convection!)
polyurethane foam (85 kg/m3)
mineral wool
polyvinyl chloride foam
Carizite
polypropylene foam (700 kg/m3)
polyurethane
polypropylene
fusion-bonded epoxy
concrete, soil
(steel)

0.007
0.020
0.024
0.030
0.038
0.06
0.14
0.17
0.19
0.22
0.30
2.5
41

very low
very low
very low
very low
very low
33

40
450

The above values are approximate, and should not be used in design without a check on the actual
formulation and method of application.

examples

Protective outer sheath

PVC insulating foam
FBE coating
Pipe
(a) PVC Foam Insulation Coating

Polypropylene protective outer sheath

Polypropylene bonded syntactic foam
FBE primer + /Adhesive + Polypropylene coating
Pipe
(b) Carizite Polypropylene Syntactic Foam Insulation Coating

EPDM protective outer coating

PVC insulating foam
FBE primer + /EPDM coating
Pipe
Preformed Artline foam coating
ready for installation
foam

(c) elastomeric and foam Insulation Coating

EPDM
outer coating

polyurethane syntactic foam

FBE coating
pipe
(d) polyurethane Foam Insulation Coating

polymer foams creep under mechanical stress,

particularly at high temperatures

some cells collapse

k much larger

syntactic materials resist pressure much better

example: Carizite

polypropylene matrix
hollow glass microspheres

pipe-in-pipe
carrier
insulation

Thermal insulation using a pipe in pipe

filler hole welded closed
insulation foam

foam injected
after welding collar

44

hydrocarbon pipeline

outer pipe

sealing collar

sealing weld
girth weld

Troika schematic
carrier
nitrogen under high
pressure
open-cell foam
insulation
internal lines

rock

heat tracing
ability to maintain temperature and heat pipe up
options
circulated hot liquid
electrical resistance heating
electrical skin effect

heat tracing only makes sense in conjunction with

insulation

heat tracing by hot fluid (King project)

original design

revised design

SECT (Skin Effect Current Tracing

steel tube
cable
insulation

another application of the skin effect

electrical insulating joint