Investigate the long-term corrosion under insulation and moisture retention behaviors of various thermal insulations with and without moisture removal systems for pipelines and process equipment

Corrosion under insulation (CUI) a prominent material damage mechanisms in the process industries and pipelines which has reportedly caused countless failure events. Absorbed moisture in thermal insulation is the key reason behind CUI which also causes heat dissipation thereby posing the increased carbon footprint and reduced thermal efficiencies. The soaked thermal insulations have always been replaced with new insulation, whereas soaked insulations were disposed in landfills. There had been no known remedy in terms of complete drying of soaked thermal insulations and reduce the frequencies of replacement and disposal. This gap has been addressed by partner organization’s novel IVS (insulation ventilation system) which helps to drying soaked insulations in-situ manner. IVS has Canadian patent (No. CA 3,089,564) and initially trialled for functionality on a multi-kilometer pipeline. This project will help characterize various insulation configurations and understand novel IVS via advanced validation and quantified performance indicators thereby paving its way in the industry.

Faculty Supervisor:

George Jarjoura

Student:

Partner:

Integrity Products & Supplies Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: