TPi November 2021

Business & market news

Disruption-free repairs with pipe freezing plug Huntingdon Fusion Techniques has announced a new product from its Pipestoppers ® division to reduce pipe and valve repair and maintenance costs.

connected to a dewar of liquid nitrogen. Within 50 minutes a solid ice plug had been formed, blocking the flow from the cylinder to enable the pipe section to be cut out and replaced. Following the repair work, the ice plug defrosted naturally, and the flow continued in the system. Minimum disruption, no system drains down, no air locks and an extremely quick process.” The ice plug only forms beneath the Accu-Freeze coil wrap, jacket or aluminium clam jacket. The system is effective on ½ to 12" (150 to 300mm) pipe or tube with specials available for larger diameters. The ice plug does not expand outside of the range of the jacket or coil. The LN 2 injections are automated, which reduces the operators’ workload and the amount of LN 2 consumed, keeping operating costs low. Accu-Freeze™ can also be operated remotely, which makes it ideal for use inside ‘hot’ nuclear areas where personal exposure must be kept below certain limits. Huntingdon Fusion Techniques www.huntingdonfusion.com

Accu-Freeze™ works by reducing the pipe fluid to a temperature below its freezing point and developing a freeze plug. This controlled method of pipe freezing uses liquid nitrogen to freeze stationary liquids in a section of pipe or tubing. The nitrogen is passed through a coil surrounding the pipe producing a frozen plug inside and hence preventing flow through the part to be removed. Luke Keane, technical support at HFT, said: “We carried out an installation of an Accu-Freeze System for a client who was contracted to repair pipework in large blocks of apartments. Working in the plant room, access was pretty tight as the pipes were only 6 to 8" from the ground. At one end of the pipe there was a pressure gauge and at the other, a 1,000-litre hot water cylinder. Ambient temperature in the pipe was approximately 38ºC.” “We used a copper coil on the 2" carbon steel pipe and had to wrap it about 10" along the pipe length, wound tight. We then performed a freeze using the Accu-Freeze System

Accu-Freeze™ works by reducing the pipe fluid to a temperature below its freezing point and developing a freeze plug

Valve World Expo 2022 receives positive support from the industry Since March 2021, registrations for the twelfth international valve trade fair and conference, Valve World Expo, have been underway in Düsseldorf, Germany. From 29 November to 1 December, 2022, many key players in the industry, as well as medium-sized companies, will showcase innovative valves and fittings at the event – from gigantic ball valves for use in the oil & gas industry to tiny, delicate valves used in microbiology or medical technology. They all have one thing in common – they regulate flow rates, separate different media from each other or stop liquid and gas spills. As a result, they play an indispensable role in almost every branch of industry. “The fact that many industry players have already committed to this leading Düsseldorf trade fair at this early stage is both an incentive and motivation for us to be able to successfully stage Valve World Expo 2022,” said Daniel Ryfisch, project director wire, tube and flow technologies at Messe Düsseldorf. Around one and a half years before the start of the trade fair, 170 companies from 21 countries have already registered.

Supplying the world with the best for more than 50 years Vertical and Horizontal Tube Blades • New Knives, Jaws and Resharpening Blades to Customer Specifications• Many Coatings Available • Precision Machining

www.randolphtoolco.com info@randolphtool.com 330-877-4923 Randolph Tool Co., Inc., 750 Wales Dr. Hartville, Ohio 44632 USA

Valve World Expo 2022 www.valveworldexpo.com

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TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL November 2021

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