Title of Innovation: AeroTek TM Wear Pad For Insulated Piping. Brief Summary: Category: Materials

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1 Title of Innovation: AeroTek TM Wear Pad For Insulated Piping Category: Materials Nominee: Cindy Carr Advanced Piping Products, Inc. Houston, TX, USA Web site: Date of Innovation: October 2011 Brief Summary: Because traditional thermal insulation is most often not of sufficient strength to support the weight of the pipe plus its contents, steel pipe support saddles filled with special high strength insulation (Fig. 1) or various welded steel supports are commonly used for support of insulated piping systems. The disadvantages of these methods of pipe support are expensive to purchase and expensive to weld attach to the pipe. As the use of aerogel blanket insulation technology quickly spreads throughout the oil and gas industry, support of the pipe without the need for these costly traditional supports is now possible. A simple, relatively inexpensive fiberglass-reinforced wear pad, tightly banded to the outside of a completed aerogel blanket insulation system supports the pipe without the need for welding and without a protrusion through the insulation. The logistics of the use of this wear pad allows for the insulation system to be fully shop-installed, providing for even greater cost savings. The corrosion mitigation elements of this innovation are: The use of insulation which is water repellent up to 600F and able to resist rough handling and transportation without damage. The elimination of possible water entry through protrusions in the insulation. The ability to have the insulation system installed in a shop environment under proper supervisions and working conditions.

2 Title of Innovation: AeroTek TM Wear Pad for Pipe Insulation Full Description: When and how was it developed? Developed in December An existing wear pad intended for glue application to bare pipe was modified to accommodate banding to insulation. Patent is pending. How does it work, in basic terms? A ¼-in thick fiber-reinforced vinyl ester wear pad is fabricated to match the contour of the outside diameter of pipe insulation. It is tightly secured to the insulation system by metal banding which rests inside inset grooves fabricated into the outer surface of the wear pad. How or why is the innovation unique? Support of pipe from OUTSIDE of fibrous insulation by a ¼-in plastic wear pad has never before been attempted. Most thermal insulation is not strong enough to support the weight of the pipe plus contents. Historically, this has necessitated heavy fabricated pre-insulated shoe supports or steel supports which are welded to the pipe. This innovation eliminates expensive shoes supports where anchoring of the pipe is not needed. What type of corrosion problem does the innovation address? CUI What is the need that sparked the development of the innovation? Use of traditional shoe supports for insulated pipe either involve welding (expensive) or the purchase and field-installation of pre-insulated fabricated steel shoes. These too are expensive and require the insulation be installed in the field since there is no way to accurately position the traditional support shoes in the shop. Also, traditional pipe insulation is not conducive to shop installation since it is too easily damaged during shipment. Are there technological challenges or limitations that the innovation overcomes? Described above. What are the potential applications of the innovation? All 12-in diameter (or smaller) pipe insulated with aerogel blanket insulation which does not need to be anchored at the support location.

3 How does the innovation provide an improvement over existing methods, techniques, and technologies? See above description. Reduces cost. Eliminates protrusions through the insulation, reducing the risk of water intrusion. Allows for completion of insulation in the shop and easy locating and securement of wear pad in the field when pipe is positioned in the pipe rack. What type of impact does the innovation have on the industry/industries it serves? Reduces risk of CUI Reduces installation cost of insulated pipe. Does the innovation fill a technology gap? If so, please explain the technological need and how it was addressed prior to the development of the innovation. The need to utilize pre-insulated shoes or welded supports cause added project cost and complicated the installation process. This innovation simplifies the process, reduces cost, and reduces the risk of CUI by eliminating protrusions through the insulation (where water usually gets in) and by reducing the risk of insulation damage. Has the innovation been tested in the laboratory or in the field? If so, please describe any tests or field demonstrations and the results that support the capability and feasibility of the innovation. Full scale testing in steel fabrication shop. 12- in pipe, insulated w/ two 10 mm layers of Pyrogel XT insulation with aluminum jacket. Weighted to equal water-filled pipe supported on beams 20 ft apart (standard for refineries) Is the innovation commercially available? If yes, how long has it been utilized? If not, what is the next step in making the innovation commercially available? Yes, it is now commercially available. It has not been utilized because the provisional patent application was filed on Oct. 19, Are you aware of other organizations that have introduced similar innovations? If so, how is this innovation different? No, not aware of any. Are there any patents related to this work? If yes, please provide the patent title, number, and inventor. Provisional patent application has been filed. The filing number must be kept private for legal reasons until a non-provisional patent has been granted.

4 Supporting Photos: Two styles of traditional welded supports for insulated pipe, welded saddle (left) and T-slider welded to pipe (right).

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