Method of protecting a layered coating on a discrete pipe joint for subsea use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841136-B2
Application number	US-201214396727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2012
Priority date	Apr 24, 2012
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A method of protecting a layered coating on a length of pipe for subsea use includes applying an edge finisher to the coating to encase an edge of the coating by fusing the edge finisher with the coating or by molding the edge finisher at an edge of the coating. Where the coating and the edge finisher are of thermoplastics such as PP, fusing can be achieved by injection molding the edge finisher or by welding a discrete edge finisher component to the edge of the coating. Mirror welding may be employed for this purpose, with a hot plate being interposed between the edge of the coating and the edge finisher.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of protecting a layered coating on a discrete pipe joint for subsea use, the method comprising applying a protective edge finisher to the coating by injection-moulding the edge finisher at an edge of the coating to encase the edge of the coating, before the discrete pipe joint is transported to a welding location at which fabrication of a pipeline takes place by welding the discrete pipe joint to another discrete pipe joint.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the edge finisher is moulded from a thermoplastics material.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the edge finisher is moulded from a thermoset resin.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising applying a mould tool to the discrete pipe joint while leaving an inner wall of the mould tool spaced from the edge of the coating to define a mould chamber between that wall and the edge of the coating.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the mould tool is sealed on an outer side to the coating and on an inner side to the discrete pipe joint.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the edge of the coating is bevelled and the inner wall of the mould tool is frusto-conical.

7. The method of claim 1 , followed by affixing an end cap to the discrete pipe joint or to the edge finisher.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the end cap is affixed to a portion of the discrete pipe joint outboard of the edge finisher.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the end cap is affixed to a protruding part of the edge finisher.

10. The method of claim 1 , followed by machining the edge finisher before welding the discrete pipe joint to a pipe string.

11. The method of claim 1 , followed by field joint coating after welding the discrete pipe joint to a pipe string such that the field joint coating is joined to the edge finisher.

Assignees

• Acergy France SAS

Inventors

• Hoffmann Philippe Benoit Jacques

Classifications

• B29C45/14622

  Lining the inner or outer surface of tubular articles · CPC title

• F16L58/181 Primary

  for non-disconnectable pipe joints · CPC title

• B29C45/14336

  Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article (B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16L13/0272

  having an external coating · CPC title

• B29C45/14598

  Coating tubular articles · CPC title