Transportable molding system for forming insulation on long pipes and related methods

A portable molding system configured for forming insulation on pipes of lengths in excess of 20 feet, the portable molding system comprising:

• a set of transportable process modules configured to be shipped to a molding site, operatively connected together at the molding site to form a site-installed molding system, and subsequently disconnected for transport to another site, the set of transportable process modules including:
• one or more resin preparation modules configured to prepare resin for being formed into insulation on the pipes;
• and
• one or more mold modules configured to define a mold cavity, the one or more mold modules configured to hold a pipe in the mold cavity, to receive resin prepared by the one or more resin preparation modules in the mold cavity around the pipe, and to form said resin received in the mold cavity into insulation on the pipe;
• wherein the set of transportable process modules comprises one or more resin transfer modules configured to transfer the resin from bulk storage at the molding site to the one or more resin preparation modules;
• wherein the one or more resin transfer modules comprises an intermediate storage tank module, the intermediate storage tank module comprising a first inlet through which the intermediate storage tank module is configured to receive resin transferred from the bulk storage, an outlet through which the resin intermediate storage tank module is configured to output resin to the one or more resin preparation modules, and a second inlet through which the intermediate storage tank module is configured to receive resin recirculated from the one or more resin preparation modules;
• wherein the intermediate storage tank module comprises a hatch and a hatch cover covering the hatch, each of the first inlet and the second inlet being formed through the hatch cover.

A portable molding system configured for forming insulation on pipes of lengths in excess of 20 feet, the portable molding system comprising:

• a set of transportable process modules configured to be shipped to a molding site, operatively connected together at the molding site to form a site-installed molding system, and subsequently disconnected for transport to another site, the set of transportable process modules including:
• one or more resin preparation modules configured to prepare resin for being formed into insulation on the pipes;
• and
• one or more mold modules configured to define a mold cavity, the one or more mold modules configured to hold a pipe in the mold cavity, to receive resin prepared by the one or more resin preparation modules in the mold cavity around the pipe, and to form said resin received in the mold cavity into insulation on the pipe;
• wherein each of the set of transportable process modules is configured to be transported in a standard shipping container having a width of less than or equal to 96 inches (about 244 cm) and a height of less than or equal to 102 inches (about 260 cm);
• and
• wherein the one or more mold modules comprises at least first and second mold modules configured to be connected end-to-end at the molding site to define a common mold cavity in which to receive one pipe at a time.