Oil or gas transportation requires the use of very long pipelines from the source of extraction to the main distribution grids. However, due to the properties of the inner fluids and to the differing environmental conditions, these pipelines are particularly prone to corrosion. To guarantee the longevity of pipelines, protective coatings and/or anodic or cathodic protection are commonly used. In conjunction with protective coatings, cathodic protection is often considered the wisest solution and is therefore widely adopted. In remote areas, where power supply is not easily available from the grid, power units are distributed along the course of the pipeline to overcome this shortage. Thanks to their impressive operating longevity without maintenance, off-grid Stirling engines are well-suited to this purpose as they can be used as power generators in remote areas where operat/are occasional. A 1kWe Stirling engine has been designed to ensure the protection of over 5 kilometers of pipeline length, conditioning the corrosion protection control units and powering the SCADA systems. Market analysis has shown very good opportunities for off grid configuration Stirling engines in the oil and gas sector, thus extending their current application in the household sector as micro combined heat and power systems. According to a low profile estimate, protection of 2000 km of pipeline length can be ensured through the use of Stirling engines, /promising an important economic profit.
Distributed Stirling Engines for Pipeline Corrosion Protection
Bartolini, Carlo Maria;Cioccolanti, Luca
;
2012-01-01
Abstract
Oil or gas transportation requires the use of very long pipelines from the source of extraction to the main distribution grids. However, due to the properties of the inner fluids and to the differing environmental conditions, these pipelines are particularly prone to corrosion. To guarantee the longevity of pipelines, protective coatings and/or anodic or cathodic protection are commonly used. In conjunction with protective coatings, cathodic protection is often considered the wisest solution and is therefore widely adopted. In remote areas, where power supply is not easily available from the grid, power units are distributed along the course of the pipeline to overcome this shortage. Thanks to their impressive operating longevity without maintenance, off-grid Stirling engines are well-suited to this purpose as they can be used as power generators in remote areas where operat/are occasional. A 1kWe Stirling engine has been designed to ensure the protection of over 5 kilometers of pipeline length, conditioning the corrosion protection control units and powering the SCADA systems. Market analysis has shown very good opportunities for off grid configuration Stirling engines in the oil and gas sector, thus extending their current application in the household sector as micro combined heat and power systems. According to a low profile estimate, protection of 2000 km of pipeline length can be ensured through the use of Stirling engines, /promising an important economic profit.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
