Tech of the week : Trelleborg tackles subsea challenges
11 Mar 2015
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Perth, Australia – Trelleborg’s Offshore is showcasing its latest advances in subsea equipment and flowline protection technology at the Australasian Oil and Gas Exhibition, held 11-13 March in Perth.
On display are its T-Strake vortex induced vibration (VIV) system as well as subsea flow control developments, including Trelleborg’s entire line of Vikotherm insulation materials.
“In increasingly rougher seas, pipelines unsupported over free spans are prone to VIV fatigue. This is a growing concern as VIV can lead to serious issues such as pipe girth weld failure or premature pipe malfunction,” said key account manager within Trelleborg Offshore, Iain Green.
“We designed our T-Strake flowline protection to suppress the effects of these vibrations on pipes to avoid damage and downtime,” he added.
T-Strake is said to feature a unique modular design enabling more efficient transportation and installation.
According to Trelleborg, T-Strake’s manufacturing process can produce up to six times faster than manufacturing systems using traditional techniques.
Also, Trelleborg’s Vikotherm insulation range claims to offer superior joint strength, reduced thermal conductivity and increased heat capacity, as well as flexibility and resistance to hydrostatic collapse down to more than 3,000 meters.
Vikotherm S1 is made from non-syntactic silicone and can be cured at room temperature without exposure to air, making it resistant to cracking and shrinking. Vikotherm R2 offers improved elasticity, as well as enhanced process and manufacturing flexibility.
Trelleborg also said that the insulation systems could be applied “anywhere” by using the company’s mobile production unit (MPU), which can carry out onsite installation of corrosion protection, thermal insulation and passive fire protection.
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