Advanced pipe-freezing technology reduces maintenance costs for plumbers
Pipes are essential to everything we do and play a crucial role in the manufacturing industry. Because of this, interruptions can be very costly, especially if a certain pipe or valve needs to be restored or replaced.
In a typical replacement, the entire pipe needs to be closed and drained off for the safe disposal of fluids. However, recent advances in technology have discovered ways to freeze the fluid in certain sections for an easier and more accurate repair.
Huntington Fusion Techniques, global weld purging innovators, have discovered ways to freeze sections of pipe with both carbon dioxide and liquid nitrogen.
Pipes up to 200mm in diameter are commonly used for the transport of liquids in virtually every processing industry. Petrochemical manufacturing plants, in particular, employ highly complex pipework, valves, pumps and monitoring equipment to control product manufacture.
A liquid CO2 technique now commonly used across the world is the Qwik-Freezer System. A specially designed insulating jacket is wrapped around the pipe at the point where the freeze is required. When liquid CO2 is injected into the space between jacket and pipe at a temperature of -78ºC the pipe contents freeze and a secure ‘ice plug’ is formed, sealing the pipe.
Liquid nitrogen freezing is better used for pipes up to 900mm in diameter, making use of the Accu-Freeze solution.
To use it, copper tubing is coiled around the pipe upstream and downstream of the specific part of the pipe and liquid nitrogen is passed through it. If this isn’t possible, lightweight metal jackets known as ‘Cryo Shells’ can be fitted around the area to be frozen.
Temperature-monitoring units are available to control the surface wall temperature of the pipe to safely create an ‘ice plug’.
The Accu-Freeze System is automatic and can be remotely operated, making it attractive for use in locations where engineer access is restricted.