Pipe Thermal Performance

The pipe-in-pipe flow loop has been designed specifically to measure the performance of different pipeline thermal insulation system.  The flow loop can house full-scale pipe sections of up to typically 400mm (approx 16 inch) OD and section lengths of at least 12m. 

The flow loop instrumentation comprises high accuracy thermocouples (PRTs) and direct flow measurement and so can be used to measurement the overall heat transfer coefficient (U value) of the thermal insulation system as part of a pre-qualification process. The test facility and test method are designed to meet the following conditions:

• steady state heat transfer
• fully thermally and hydrodynamically developed flow
• turbulent flow in the flowline
• test section fully submerged in quiescent fluid of constant temperature

The associated analysis techniques provide the U value and error analysis needed to scale-up the measurements to the pressure, temperature and fluids at field conditions and can also make cooldown measurements.