Field Joint Coatings for Deep Sea Pipelines

R. Verhelle[1], L. Van Lokeren[1], S. Loulidi[1], H. Boyd[2], G. Van Assche[1]
[1]Physical Chemistry & Polymer Science, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
[2]Heerema Marine Contractors, Leiden, The Netherlands
Published in 2014

COMSOL Multiphysics® software is used to model the field joint application process on carbon steel pipelines for deep sea crude oil transportation, taking into account not only heat transfer, cure kinetics, and crystallization, but also thermal, cure and crystallization shrinkage and the resulting interfacial thermal stresses. Experimental data from the raw materials are implemented in the model and the computational results are compared with experimental results on industrial test pipes. By gaining deeper insight into the field joint coating process and the variables controlling the adhesion between the different materials, we aim at improving the selection and design of the materials and process.