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US H2,139 H1Granted
Active heating system for oil pipeline
AssigneeCoflexip
InventorAlexander Fraser Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pipeline for transmitting oil or other substance which forms a solid residue such as wax when the substance is cooled, as in a subsea oil pipeline. Pass a tube through the interior of the pipeline, e.g., at the wall of the pipeline. Transmit heated liquid or water through the tube for heating the material being passed through the pipeline to a temperature which avoids or eliminates the solid residue and for heating the pipeline.
Claims9
An active heating system for a pipeline, comprising:
- an elongate pipeline with an interior for carrying a substance to be heated;
- a tube having a smaller cross section than the pipeline and passing through the interior of the pipeline for the tube to be in thermal communication with the substance in the pipeline so that heated substance passing through the tube will heat the pipeline and the material in the pipeline.
A method of heating a liquid that is passing through a pipeline comprising:
- passing a tube of smaller diameter through the pipeline of larger diameter;
- passing the liquid through the pipeline;
- passing a second heated liquid through the tube in the pipeline and permitting thermal transmission from the tube in the pipeline to the liquid passing through the pipeline for heating the liquid passing through the pipeline and for heating the pipeline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.