Epoxies
Boeing 787 Update
Approaching rollout and first flight, the 787 relies on innovations in composite materials and processes to hit its targets
Read MoreCatenary Composite Risers
Catenary risers are able to absorb much more motion than top-tensioned risers, and, thus, are a common solution for wells tied back to an FPSO. Such a vessel experiences very high first-order motion in response to initial contact with wind or waves, making catenary risers a better solution than rigid component
Read MoreRTP Niches Into Low-Pressure Applications
Wellstream (a Halliburton business unit) supplies lightweight reinforced thermoplastic pipe, or RTP, which is designed for applications intermediate between those that can use low-pressure, unreinforced thermoplastic pipe or hose, and those that require high-pressure unbonded flexible pipe. Used mainly in onsh
Read MoreLooking Forward
Current composite tether designs are leveraged to take advantage of existing oil-field manufacturing facilities. The wirerope stranding facilities, umbilical closing machines, steel anchors and installation methods used today for steel and synthetic cables can immediately accommodate rope-style composite tethe
Read MoreComposite Pipe Valves Offer Corrosion-Free Performance
Composite valves and actuators have gained entry into offshore facilities, as well. At about one-third the weight of steel, fiber-reinforced composite flow control components are a welcome addition to piping systems and increasingly in demand for marine environments as a high-strength, corrosion-resistant alte
Read MoreInterplay Of Materials And Use Conditions Key To Design
A wide variety of thermoplastic resins is used for the inner fluid/pressure barrier layer, which contains the conveyed material and eliminates any possibility of weeping through the fiber composite. The most common are families of polyolefins (e.g., polyethylenes), polyphenylene sulfides (PPS), nylons (polyami
Read MoreDownhole Composites Boost Durability, Drillability
Halliburton Energy Services, Schlumberger Oilfield Services, Weatherford International, and Baker Oil Tools, all based in Houston, Texas (U.S.A.), offer composite downhole tools — made with both thermoplastics and thermoset resins — for a variety of applications. Halliburton’s FasDrill packers and plugs
Read MoreDesign Issues With Subsea And Downhole Components
For structures below the water line and in the borehole, composites add to their list of benefits the key characteristic of design flexibility, because composite materials can be tailored to meet specific challenges. For example, composites can add buoyancy to low-pressure steel air cans on a spar platform’s r
Read MoreModular Cable Offers Flexibility
The Composite Carbon Cable system developed by Doris Engineering, IFP, Soficar and Freyssinet is based on a different design. Their concept is to assemble a tether from uniformly sized strands or “modules” made up of parallel rods. Each module is hexagonally shaped, allowing any number of modules (strands) to
Read MoreComposite Accumulator Bottles Perform In Service
A riser tensioning system for a TLP consists of a tensioning ring and framework, with four to eight hydraulic cylinders — each with an attached pressure vessel or “accumulator bottle” — to support and allow movement of the rigid riser pipe. Installed in the riser wellbay, this primary structural system is desi
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