KVAL: Digital solutions for integrating physical models with sensor data to combat corrosion under insulation

There are hundreds of kilometers of insulated pipe networks within the oil & gas-, chemical- and process industry on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, as well as onshore. Insulation is commonly used for fire protection, noise reduction or to stabilise process temperature. Even though the insulation is encapsulated, water finds its way into the system and can cause corrosion under insulation (CUI). CUI can lead to downtime of a plant and potentially cause major accidents. The uncertainty of where the water has migrated, forces operators to manually inspect insulation and cladding on a regular basis. This procedure is immensely costly and ineffective, as the check is sometimes conducted too late, or may reveal a completely unaffected piece of pipe. Inspection is presently not governed by the underlying physical mechanisms. Annual costs related to CUI maintenance within the oil & gas industry in Norway are on the order of billions NOK. SINTEF Energy Research is developing state-of-the-art models, that capture important moisture migration physics in insulation materials under realistic plant conditions. Using these models, we are able to predict where moisture accumulates in the pipe system and ultimately can cause CUI. This information is of significant value for the plant operator's maintenance plan, which can become more targeted. Focused maintenance will increase plant integrity, i.e. reduce the potential for major accidents, reduce waste production, improve HSE conditions for inspection personnel, and reduce the plant operator's maintenance budget. In this project, we have investigated how our modelling software can be turned into a profitable business.

Dette prosjektet har oppnådd sin hovedmålsetting "å forstå det kommersielle potensialet knyttet til vår fuktmigrasjons modell". Forståelsen underbygges av prosjektets milepæler M1 Identifisere resterende tekniske og juridiske spesifikasjoner og M2 Forretningsmodell. Vi har initiert patenteringsprosesser med patentrådgivningsbyrået Bryn Aarflot, som p.t. ikke har avdekket intellektuelt eierskap som hindrer "freedom to operate". Vår første patentsøknad utformes for tiden. Vi har initiert prosessen for ATEX klassifisering av vår trådløs sensorløsning sammen med NEMKO. ATEX godkjenning er en forutsetning for å kunne utplassere sensorer i et ekte driftsmiljø. Vi har diskutert og iterert flere forretningsmodeller med sluttbrukere. CUI Solutions vil kunne tjene penger på sensorsalg, anbefaling for utplassering og data analyse. En preliminær kostnadsanalyse utført i prosjektet, viser at en positiv profittmargin kan oppnås i år 5 av selskapets liv.