Patent ID: 6978825
Filing Date: 2005-12-27
Classification: E21B,F16L

Abstract:
1. A device for the heat insulation of at least one underwater pipe ( 1 ) intended to be laid on the sea bed at great depth, comprising an insulating coating surrounding the latter and a protective envelope ( 3 ), characterized in that said insulating coating comprises a virtually incompressible liquid/solid phase change material ( 4 ) with a melting temperature T 0 higher than that T 2 of the medium surrounding the pipe in operation and less than that T 1 of the effluents circulating in said pipe, which protective envelope ( 3 ) is resistant and deformable and ensures a containment about said insulating coating, said protective envelope being deformable to follow variation in volume of the insulating coating that it contains under the effect of hydrostatic pressure and variation in temperature.