Assembly and method for processing a pipe section for a pipeline
AssigneeSustainable Innovative Technologies International B.V.
InventorsPhilip Douglas Tooth, John Irving
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides an assembly for processing a pipe section for a pipeline, in particular for coating said pipe section, said assembly having a longitudinal axis which in use functionally coincides with a rotational axis of said pipe section, said assembly comprising a surface-heating device for heating a surface, said surface-heating device comprising at least one heating module, said heating module comprising at least one infrared (IR) radiation laser device, said surface-heating device arranged for projecting a beam of said at least one infrared (IR) radiation laser device at said longitudinal axis for in use heating a ring-section of a surface of said pipe section.
Claims20
A field joint coating assembly for making a field joint on a pipe section for a pipeline, said field joint coating assembly having a longitudinal axis which in use functionally coincides with a rotational axis of said pipe section, said field joint coating assembly comprising:
- a surface-processing device for ablating a pipe surface of said pipe section, said surface-processing device comprising at least one laser ablation module, said laser ablation module comprising at least one laser ablation device arranged for in use projecting at least one ablation beam at said longitudinal axis for in use ablating the pipe surface of said pipe section;
- a surface-heating device for heating a surface, said surface-heating device comprising at least one heating module, said heating module comprising at least one infrared (IR) radiation laser device, said surface-heating device arranged for projecting a beam of said at least one infrared (IR) radiation laser device at said longitudinal axis for in use heating a ring-section of the pipe surface of said pipe section, said at least one heating module provided as a healing ring around said longitudinal axis;
- and
- a coating device for coating a surface, said coating device comprising at least one coating application module, said coating application module comprising at least one coating applicator arranged for providing coating composition in direction of said longitudinal axis, said coating device arranged for homogeneous coating of the ring-section of the pipe surface of said pipe section, wherein said coating applicator comprises at least one spray nozzle arranged for spraying to said longitudinal axis, wherein said coating device comprises a coating ring having an axis coinciding with said longitudinal axis, said coating ring comprising said at least one coating applicator on an inner surface of said coating ring, said coating ring having a diameter for a pipeline having a diameter of 0.3-1.5 meter.
A method for making a field joint on a pipe section for a pipeline with a field joint coating assembly having a longitudinal axis which in use functionally coincides with a rotational axis of said pipe section, said field joint coating assembly comprising:
- a surface-processing device for ablating a pipe surface of said pipe section, said surface-processing device comprising at least one laser ablation module, said laser ablation module comprising at least one laser ablation device arranged for in use projecting at least one ablation beam at said longitudinal axis for in use ablating the pipe surface of said pipe section;
- a surface-heating device for heating a surface, said surface-heating device comprising at least one heating module, said heating module comprising at least one infrared (IR) radiation laser device, said surface-heating device arranged for projecting a beam of said at least one infrared (IR) radiation laser device at said longitudinal axis for in use heating a ring-section of the pipe surface of said pipe section, said at least one heating module provided as a healing ring around said longitudinal axis;
- and
- a coating device for coating a surface, said coating device comprising at least one coating application module, said coating application module comprising at least one coating applicator arranged for providing coating composition in direction of said longitudinal axis, said coating device arranged for homogeneous coating of the ring-section of the pipe surface of said pipe section, wherein said coating applicator comprises at least one spray nozzle arranged for spraying to said longitudinal axis, wherein said coating device comprises a coating ring having an axis coinciding with said longitudinal axis, said coating ring comprising said at least one coating applicator on an inner surface of said coating ring, said coating ring having a diameter for a pipeline having a diameter of 0.3-1.5 meter;
- said method comprising:
- pre-treating, via the surface-processing device, a surface of said pipe section to provide a surface condition using laser ablation;
- heating, via the surface-heating device, a surface of said pipe section using the at least one infrared laser device, and
- applying, via the coating device, at least one coating composition onto said heated surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.