Steel Piping Wear Pads

[rustypipe]

To Refining/Petrochemical members

I work in the offshore upstream industry. I am keen to get information on the long term performance of FRP wear pads which I understand are prevalent in the downstream sector. I mean the type that are epoxied onto the bottonm or side of the pipe.

These pads are uncommon offshore since it is generally thought that they may disbond and potentially trap water/moisture between the pad and the pipe. Has this been anybody's obeservation or has the epoxy seal held up for design life?


I understand that in downstream operations the piping can move about on the pipe racks causing a localized wear problem exposing bare steel (hence the pads). Can anybody give an indication of the expected number of cycles/day and what is respnsible for the movement (flow induce vibration, process thermal cycling, natural warming cooling cycles?)

We have some instances of small piping movements offshore but these are normally constrained to a few cycles per day normally related to thermal expansion/contraction.

Any first hand experiences welcomed.

 

[rneill]

We used to use Teflon pads offshore. I haven't specifically seen FRP pads used offshore before. There was a company marketing a pipe clamp assembly for offshore use that involved an insulated U-Bolt with teflon pad - If I can remember who it was I'll post later.

 

[MikeHalloran]

That would be the I-Rod pipe support system by Deepwater.
See stoprust.com.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[rustypipe]

Guys (Neill & Halloran)

I appreciate the responses.

I am familiar with the I-Rod system, this controls localized corrosion, but isn't offered as a wear control product.

I was looking for experience the wear pads which area designed to prevent local abrasion damage from pipes that move on the supports. Specifically do they hold up long term without disbonding from the pipe and possibly causing a localized under-pad corrosion problem? And what number of cycles do they have to deal with in an average days service?

 

[corrosionman]

We are presently puzzling something slightly similar - - We use epoxy adhesive to bond ceramic (silicon carbide) wear tiles (size 4" x 3" ) to newly shotblasted steel surfaces within centrifuges handling saturated brine. After 8 or 9 years of service, the tiles are still securely affixed but if they are forcibly taken off for investigation, it is the bond of the adhesive to the steel that fails,(not the adhesive to the ceramic tile), and the entire steel surface is showing signs of rust. Its almost as though the epoxy itself contributes to the corrosion problem ! Fortunately we are able to access these tiles every couple of years and strip and renew the adhesive joints - - not possible on an undersea oil pipe I guess.
Corrosionman.

 

[rustypipe]

Corrosionman

An interesting comparison. Our issue however are atmospheric.

Thanks for the response however.