Reinforced flexible pipeline having a thermal barrier

• US 7,302,973 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nkt Flexibles I/S
• Original Assignee: Nkt Flexibles I/S
• Inventors: Wedel-Heinen, Jakob, Glejbøl, Kristian
• Primary Examiner(s): Brinson; Patrick F.
• Application Number:
  US10/476,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20040194838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 138/131, 138/134, 138/135, 138/172, 138/129, 138/130, 138/138
• US Class Current: 138/135
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/083 three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 59/153 for flexible pipes

Abstract

A reinforced flexible pipeline (1), which has an inner liner (3) whose inner side engages an inner reinforcement layer (2) that may be formed by a so-called carcass, and on whose outer side at least a strength-imparting reinforcement layer (4, 5, 6, 7) is provided, has an additional barrier layer (9, 10, 11) which is arranged between the inner liner and the inner reinforcement layer. The additional barrier layer is thermally insulating and/or chemically protecting. The additional barrier layer may be formed as a tape (9) which is wound around the inner reinforcement layer, or may be composed of locking profiles (10, 11) which are wound around the flexible pipeline in a helix. The additional barrier layer (9, 10, 11) may be made completely or partly of a polymer which may be thermoplastic, or is cross-linked completely or partly. Hereby, the pipe may be protected against temperatures above e.g. 13° C. and may also be protected against attacks from methanol that contains water. By constructing the additional barrier layer of profiles it is additionally ensured that it can transfer great compressive forces to the inner reinforcement layer, without any risk of the liner being caused to float since it is supported evenly by the additional barrier layer.

Claims

1. A reinforced flexible pipeline comprising:

an inner liner on whose inner side an inner reinforcement layer is provided, and on whose outer side an outer reinforcement layer comprising at least a layer selected from the group consisting of a pressure absorbing layer and a tension absorbing layer is provided, wherein an additional barrier layer is arranged between the inner reinforcement layer and the liner, the additional barrier layer is thermally insulating and is composed of profiles made completely or partly of a polymer, and the additional barrier layer is formed by at least a layer of geometrically locking profiles.

2. A reinforced flexible pipeline according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiles of the additional barrier are locked mechanically to each other.

3. A reinforced flexible pipeline according to claim 2, characterized in that the profiles of the additional barrier layer are locked geometrically to the inner reinforcement layer.

4. A reinforced flexible pipeline according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiles are wound around the pipeline in a helix.

5. A reinforced flexible pipeline according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiles are C-, Z-, T-, K- or X-shaped.

7. A reinforced flexible pipeline according to claim 4, characterized in that the wound thermal barrier layer does not have a high tightness toward the fluids of the surroundings.

10. A reinforced flexible pipeline according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional barrier layer is made of PEX, PVDF or of polypropylene.

6. A reinforced flexible pipeline comprising an inner liner on whose inner side an inner reinforcement layer is provided, and on whose outer side an outer reinforcement layer comprising at least a layer selected from the group consisting of a pressure absorbing layer and a tension absorbing layer is provided, wherein an additional barrier layer is arranged between the inner reinforcement layer and the liner, and the additional barrier layer is thermally insulating and is composed of profiles made completely or partly of a polymer, characterized in that the profiles are joined as a profile of a polymer material which is locked with a profile of another material.

8. A reinforced flexible pipeline according to claim 6, characterized in that the polymer contains at least 50% by volume of a polyolefin, a polyketone, a halogen-substituted polyolefin, a polyphenylene compound or a mixture of these.

9. A reinforced flexible pipeline according to claim 6, characterized in that the polymer is cross-linked completely or partly.