Prevention of Pipes Bursting by Using a Novel Deicing Technology

Abstract

Freezing of water inside above-ground steel pipes is an unwelcome phenomenon that leads to internal pressurization, bulging, and bursting of pipes and can cause noticeable financial losses, environmental pollution due to the resulted leakages, and damage to the property, equipment, and workers in the field. Thus, a practical deicing/antiicing system that is highly efficient must be developed to minimize the detrimental impacts caused by freezing of liquids inside pipes. First, numerous tests were carried out in a relatively large cold room in which the actual working conditions of bare pipes exposed to cold weather were simulated to comprehend the freezing mechanism of the pressurized water. In the second phase of the project, the performance of the novel heating system was assessed by conducting deicing tests in the cold room. It was concluded that the freezing of the enclosed water was heavily dependent on the pressurization extent of water that itself was a function of pipe size and material properties. It was also found that the novel heating system that was produced by using thermal spraying means was able to eliminate the ice that was formed inside the pipe even under harsh conditions that may not be experienced in the field.