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HFT welcomes freeze sealing system

Published by , Assistant Editor
World Pipelines,


Freeze sealing pipes is becoming increasingly popular for repair or maintenance, as an alternative to hot tapping. This new method eliminates the need to shut or drain down a system for repairs or maintenance to take place.

HFT welcomes freeze sealing system

Freeze sealing systems create creating ice plugs (‘freeze seals’) either upstream of the repair site or on either side of the area where a pipe system needs to be maintained.

Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT) now provides Qwik-FreezerTM. This is the industry standard portable CO2 pipe freezing system and thousands of kits are currently in use across the world.

Qwik-Freezer can be used quickly and easily. It requires little set up time and is the only CO2 pipe freezing system that is capable of freezing pipes of up to 8 in. Even for smaller diameter freezes, Qwik-Freezer produces ice plugs that are, arguably, more reliable, robust and capable of withstanding more pressure than the smaller plugs that other systems produce.

A flexible jacket is wrapped around the pipe at the point where the freeze is required. A nozzle in the jacket is then coupled to a cylinder of liquid carbon dioxide by means of a high pressure hose.

When the CO2 is injected into the space between the jacket and the pipe at a temperature of -78oC, the pipe’s contents freeze, forming an ‘ice plug’ that seals the pipe. The ‘ice plug’ forms in only a section of the pipe covered by the jacket so the resulting rise in pressure is very small and there is no damage to the pipe. The technique can be used safely on iron, lead, stainless steel, copper, brass and plastic pipe.

By not having to drain systems of liquids to make repairs, the savings made are able to justify the low relative cost of the Qwik-Freezer system.

Georgia Gascoyne, CEO for Huntingdon Fusion Techniques, said: “Qwik-Freezer has become the preferred solution for a wide range pipework, particularly where valves need to be changed.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/product-news/12102016/hft-welcomes-freeze-sealing-system/

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