October 2015

Convenience of Cryowrap Pipe Supports

Rilco Manufacturing is currently shipping several Cryowrap™ pipe shoes to an LNG plant in Thailand from our new Tanner facility in Houston, TX. The CryoWrap™ supports are manufactured with insulation that matches the diameters of the Aspen Aerogels Cryogel Z™ insulation diameters enabling the system to be designed with the piping nested closer together as well as allowing for easy/seamless transitions from the support to the line insulation.

Cryowrap Pipe Supports

The insulation material itself is hydrophobic preventing any moisture droplets from penetrating the insulation; furthermore, our supports are built with vapor stops at each end restricting moisture intrusion. These two components combined, virtually eliminate the threat of CUI (Corrosion Under Insulation) at the pipe support.

The design of our system enables the “modularization” of the pipe and the option to pre-install all components either off site, or at a safe location on site. The complete system can then be transported without damage to any components to the jetty or pipeline location. This has proven to be an extremely cost-effective method of construction and facilitates the coordination of the construction schedule.

Additionally, Rilco has performed various cryogenic tests on the CryoWrap™ pipe supports which has enabled us to refine the design and ultimately develop a pipe support that out performs all cryogenic supports currently on the market. The cryogenic tests have involved 36 inch pipe with 120 mm of the Cryogel Z™ insulation with our proprietary rigidizing agents chilled to pipe temperature of (-)165 °C.

Through the measurement of heat gain through the insulation, deflection of the insulation at design load, and testing the axial force/clamping force, these tests have demonstrated the ability of a pipe support system constructed primarily of Cryogel Z™ to perform both structurally and thermally. All temperatures, forces, and displacements are monitored and recorded digitally throughout the entirety of our cryogenic tests.

Testing Cryowrap Pipe Support

The graphic below illustrates the difference in diameters between Cryogel Z™, Cellular Glass and PIR, while all three designs still meet the same condensation control criteria.

Cryogel Insulation Diameter Comparison

Do you have any upcoming projects that could benefit from the use of Cryowrap™ pipe supports?