VER: Corrosion sniffer (COFFER) – solving the CUI problem

Production in chemical plants usually involves a large number of processes, where liquids and gasses are transported between process units in a large and complex system of pipes. A typical petroleum refinery, for example, includes hundreds of kilometres of pipeline transporting fluids. Many process units operate at higher or lower temperatures than its surroundings, and fluids need to be at a certain temperature during transport in the pipelines. Therefore, the pipes are often insulated to maintain the temperature inside, and for personal safety. However, this makes it difficult to assess the condition of the pipe underneath the insulation. Moisture inside the insulation can lead to corrosion of the pipe, usually referred to as CUI (Corrosion Under Insulation), and a pipe breach can have serious consequences in a chemical plant. To prevent breaches and holes, the pipes need to be inspected regularly, wherein the outer mantling and insulation is removed to inspect the inner piping. With hundreds of kilometres to inspect, this is a costly operation for the plant. Currently, there are few options to make this process automated, in particular for existing plants where retrofitting of a sensor system can be extremely costly. There has been a large effort to solve this problem in recent years. COFFER aims to offer an affordable sensor solution for existing and new plants to digitalize the CUI inspection. The sensor relies on an entirely new technology for moisture detection with an estimated maintenance-free lifetime of up to 20 years. The sensors do not rely on expensive components, which is important considering a plant will need thousands of sensors. Moreover, the design allows for a rapid installation, which will save further costs. This project aims to solve the final remaining technological challenges before the COFFER sensor is ready for pilot production and up-scaled installations. During the project, first-generation prototypes were installed in insulated pipes in a chemical industrial plant. The prototypes and sensor components were also tested extensively in the laboratory. The tests revealed how the technology behaves in various conditions and showed that the sensors both record variations in air humidity and records periods when condense forms in the insulation. Field-tests conducted during different seasons (summer/winter) gave information on how external temperature and humidity conditions affect the conditions in the insulation, where certain temperature gradients resulted in condense formation. During the pilot testing, one sensor revealed a pipe in urgent need of inspection.

Prosjektet har utviklet en helt ny sensorteknologi for CUI overvåking, fra laboratorieskala testing og utvikling til pilottester hos mulig sluttbruker. Prosjektet har hatt bred kontakt med ulike interessegrupper innenfor CUI feltet, inkludert forsknings- og rådgivningsaktører, i tillegg til sluttbrukere. Digitalisering av CUI i eksisterende prosessanlegg er i et skjæringspunkt hvor de ulike aktørene må vurdere kost/nytte av ulike løsninger, og hvor det per i dag ikke er klart om eksisterende sensorløsninger kan balansere dette på en bedre måte enn nåværende praksis. COFFER sensoren har vist at utvikling av nye teknologier er løsningen for å gjøre sensorovervåking lønnsom for eksisterende prosessanlegg. Dette kan føre til en økt tverrfaglig FoU innsats og interesse, med industrien som pådrivere. Prosjektet har vært tverrfaglig bemannet, med kompetanse innen kjemi, materialer, instrumentering, industridesign og forretningsutvikling. Prosessen med å utvikle teknologi og arbeide mot kommersialisering har bidratt til økt kompetanse på tvers av fagområdene. Denne kompetansen øker sannsynligheten for vellykkede kommersialiseringsprosesser, både nå og i fremtiden. "Deep tech" kommersialiseringsprosesser som involverer nye teknologier er spesielt kostnadskrevende og har høy risiko. Til gjengjeld kan slike prosesser føre til paradigmeskifter og store forbedringer. COFFER prosjektet synliggjør at et slikt paradigmeskifte er mulig innen CUI, men at det krever høy grad av involvering og finansiering fra industrien.