Contact person
Nazdaneh Yarahmadi
Forskningschef
Contact NazdanehPipeOpsy™ - A method for status assessment of district heating pipes
There are strong economic and environmental reasons to continue to use the existing DH networks in Europe in a reliable and cost-effective way as long as possible. At RISE we have now developed a novel fast, reliable and cost-effective field test method called “PipeOpsy™” – a biopsy for pipes.
Purpose
District heating (DH) pipes comprise an inner pipe (service pipe), which is normally made of steel, surrounded by polyurethane (PUR) foam insulation and an outer high-density polyethylene (HDPE) casing for protection. The design requires satisfactory adhesion between the components to achieve good long-term mechanical and technical performance. Loss of adhesion, especially between the PUR insulation and the service pipe is the most critical failure mechanism. This ultimately leads to crack growth, resulting in leakage.
To be able to continue using existing DH networks, effective maintenance planning and selective replacement of worn-out parts are required. A prerequisite to accomplish this is reliable information about the functional status and remaining service life of different parts of existing DH networks in operation.
Method
Testing in field using PipeOpsy™ can be easily carried out, using portable tools and without shutting down the operating of DH network.
The method consists of several parts
- Measuring adhesion strength in field
- Measuring thermal conductivity
- Restoring pipeline (Can be done within a couple of hours)
- Chemical analyze foam using FTIR spectroscopy made in laboratory
Delivery
After the testing and analysis are completed, a report with an assessment of the pipe’s condition is obtained. An addition can be made to the report to estimate the remaining service life of the pipe.
