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Polymer-based fire protection seals can withstand 1100¢ªC
near Oslo in Norwaya fire-protection seal for oil rigsmade of reinforced rubberis being barbecued by a jet of flames. After two hours of being blasted at over 100°Cthe piece is still intact."Outside Trelleborg Viking’s plant, part of Trelleborg Offshore, near Oslo in Norway, a fire-protection seal...Outside Trelleborg Viking’s plant, part of Trelleborg Offshore, near Oslo in Norway, a fire-protection seal for oil rigs, made of reinforced rubber, is being barbecued by a jet of flames. After two hours of being blasted at over 100°C, the piece is still intact.
Observing this test with keen interest are two engineers from Brazil’s national oil company, Petrobras, which is considering buying a product made of the material tested.
What they are interested in is a drain gully for their oil rigs on the shelf outside Brazil. It’s a 4-metre long piece of reinforced rubber 40centimetres in diameter that resembles a cylinder sliced along its length and turned into the shape of a ‘U’ with wings. It looks innocuous, but it is an essential piece of equipment that can save lives.
The next day we fly to the Vetco Aibel shipyard in Haugesund, a port on Norway’s west coast, 400kilometres from Oslo, to visit an oil production ship, the Alvheim, on which the gullies are being fitted.
They serve several crucial purposes. First, they work as a seal. "They close the gaps between modules (sections of the ship that process oil and gas), and collect fluids, such as oil and seawater that have accidentally spilled," explains Merete Rønningen, project manager at Trelleborg Viking. "So if oil and sea water spill over, this will be drained by the gully."
The gullies also act as fire protection, first by preventing an oil spill from reaching a section where it could ignite, but also by controlling the damage, if a fire occurs. "They can collect burning fluids, since they can sustain temperatures of 1100¢ªC for up to two hours, as we saw yesterday," explains Merete Rønningen.
The third benefit of the gullies is to offer a degree of flexibility within a metallic structure that weighs tens of thousands of tons. "The modules can move with the ship, especially in bad weather," adds Merete Rønningen. "The rubber is flexible and accepts adjustments. Other gullies, which are made of metal, can’t do that because they are rigid." At the same time, they are extremely strong and will remain tight.
For the potential Petrobras clients, this is a great fix to a key safety concern. "At the moment we use metal plates as gullies," explains Rodrigo Parra, one of the two visiting engineers. "They bend as the ship moves with the waves, and they suffer structural tensions. So what Trelleborg Viking is offering us is an excellent solution."
Fire protection technologies
All products are based on the same Firestop, Jetfirestop and Fireflex technologies, and are used to protect even against the most severe fire scenarios.
The risers, or pipes that transport oil and gas from the seabed to the platform, are coated with the reinforced rubber which, in addition to offering excellent fire protection, gives first-rate resistance to corrosion and wear.
The flexibility and sealing properties of the fire-resistant rubber are used in all kind of seals. For instance, between rigid metal sections on oil and gas platforms, for escape tunnels on ships, or for wall penetrations of pipes, channels and cables.
Fire-resistant rubber covers, called Vikodeck, are put on decks and walls and made into boxes that encase, among other things, cable trays and valves. They also protect against vibration, noise, explosions and impacts.
A complete piping system (ELASTOPIPE) for fire water is made of the same material. This flexible pipe is a revolution in activefire water protection.
Trelleborg Offshore brings together the strengths and capabilities of five Trelleborg companies servicing clients in the offshore oil and gas market: Trelleborg CRP Inc Trelleborg CRP Ltd, Trelleborg Viking AS, Trelleborg Emerson & Cuming Inc, and Trelleborg OCP Ltd. Using advanced polymer material technology in over 20 manufacturing facilities around the world, Trelleborg Offshore provides high-integrity offshore solutions for the harshest and most demanding environments.
For more information, visit www.trelleborg.com
