TPI November 2015

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November 2015 Tube Products International 41
products & developments
All products sold under brand name
“ TRANNEL”
Jerry Wang: 813-298-6667
Email:
881 Dunbar Ave, Oldsmar, Florida 34677
MADE IN CHINA
Minimum Walls thickness
0.0025
Specialists in fulfilling and custom
requirements in thin wall tubing
and bellows.
Pipeline inspections in programme to
enhance safety and reliability
Consumers Energy is inspecting nearly
300 miles of natural gas pipeline in
the USA this year to proactively seek
and repair imperfections that could
compromise the integrity of those lines
and potentially affect their operation.
Mary Palkovich, the company’s vice
president of energydelivery, commented,
“Providing reliable, safe energy for our
customers is our top priority. Pipeline
inspections are a key component of
our comprehensive natural gas integrity
programme designed to keep customers
and the general public safe.”
Consumers Energy will spend
approximately $3mn in 2015 to perform
14 pipeline inspections throughout
Lower Michigan, and has budgeted
$27mn to address any issues found
during the inspections. Federal
requirements dictate that natural gas
transmission lines located in high
population areas be inspected every
seven years. Consumers Energy’s
programme exceeds this requirement by
inspecting additional pipeline miles that
are not required by federal guidelines.
The company is also audited by the
Michigan Public Service Commission
regarding its integrity plan and other
related efforts.
The company uses specialised
contractors to perform pipeline integrity
tests and related analysis. Pipeline
sections to be inspected are first
cleaned internally using a specialised
tool to remove dirt, oil, water and other
debris. A second tool is used to identify
restrictions inside the pipeline that could
prevent the passage of inspection tools.
Additional tools are then inserted into
the pipeline and travel through the
pipe, recording important data about
its condition. The tests can identify
dents, cracks, pipe defects, corrosion
and other conditions within the pipeline.
Depending on the data analysis, the
pipeline may be repaired as needed.
Consumers Energy operates more
than 29,000 miles of transmission
and distribution pipelines throughout
Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, serving
more than 1.7mn natural gas customers,
making it one of the largest gas
distribution companies in the US.
Other aspects of the comprehensive
pipeline integrity programme include:
using low-voltage electric current on
pipes to reduce or eliminate corrosion;
conducting annual ground and aerial
surveys to check transmission pipelines;
continuously monitoring a gas control
computer system that alerts employees
to any abnormal pressures or flows in
the gas system, allowing the company
to respond quickly to any emergency;
and responding to more than 350,000
MISS DIG/8-1-1 requests each year to
mark gas pipelines so that safe digging
can proceed.
Consumers Energy – USA
DN800mm oriented PVC pipe
Molecor, a specialist in developing
technology and manufacturing pipes
in oriented PVC (PVC-O) for the
conveyance of water under pressure,
has achieved a new milestone with
the production and presentation of
what it claims is the only PVC-O pipe
of 800mm in diameter.
The company had already manu-
factured PVC-O pipes of nominal
diameters 500 and 630mm.
Since its foundation, Molecor has
focused on innovation, research and
development, to provide innovative
solutions and to respond to the
challenges presented by the water
supply market.
The molecular orientation process
improves mechanical properties: the
pipes have a lower weight, making
them easier to handle and install.
The TOM® PVC-O pipe is a solution
for water transport under pressure.
With the new diameter available, it is
now also suitable for works of larger
diameters.
As well as the technological
improvement and the wide range of
products available, TOM pipes have
advantages such as high impact
resistance, greater hydraulic capacity,
improved behaviour against water
hammer, high chemical resistance, full
water-tightness, lower load losses and
ease of installation.
Molecor – Spain