The
Innerseal project was initiated in July 2002
with sponsorship from KeySpan Energy, Innerseal
(Bond Brothers), and FERC. The project is
being managed by the Gas Technology Institute
and development work is being completed by
Innerseal. In addition, the Gas Technology
Institute is performing lab-testing services.
The
primary objective of this project is to reduce
joint repair costs on large diameter cast
iron gas mains from 16" to 36" in diameter.
Present methods of repair require large tight-sheeted
excavations to access the joints externally
for surface preparation and encapsulation.
Since the joints are typically spaced
at 12' intervals, repair costs can be extensive
and the excavations highly disruptive to traffic.
The
objective of this project is to build on the
accomplishments made to date by the present
Innerseal process of repairing low pressure
cast iron joints using a sealant sprayed on
the inside surface of the pipe wall at the
joint locations. This is accomplished under
live gas conditions, with a range of 300'
in each direction, from a single excavation.
The
first task of this project is to determine
the service life of a joint repaired using
the Innerseal process and modify the process,
if necessary, to extend service life.
Subsequent tasks will involve: 1) development
of a mechanism to clean the inside surface
of the pipe to improve sealant bond, 2) extending
the repair process to intermediate pressure
systems up to 25 psi, where higher gas velocities
will be encountered, 3) extending the range
of repair to 500' in each direction, and,
4) developing a "hot tap" launch mechanism
to eliminate the need to build a by-pass allowing
the main to stay in service.
This project was discontinued after the contractor, who had significantly cofunded this project, decided not to continue operations. Intellectual property and some hardware have been transferred to the University of Louisiana who have expressed an interest in continuing this research.
View
Funding for Millennium Project M-2002-013
