Industry Case Study: PCCP Pipe Repair-San Juan Power Plant
Challenge
Situation: Wire breaks in the 10' diameter pipes severely limited the capacity of the pipe to withstand internal pressure. The goal was to restore the capacity of the pipeline.
Challenges: All work needed to be done within the time frame of the shutdown of 3 weeks for the # 3 circline and 3 days for the #4 circline. The replacement was far too costly and too much downtime. Steel lining would reduce the flow, cause future corrosion, and would have high mobilization costs.
Solution
Solution: It was decided to install 20 oz of unidirectional carbon fiber in the hoop direction, because this solution can be done quickly and with little invasiveness. Another supporting reason was that the risk of corrosion would be nonexistent.
Conclusion: Before installation took place, it was discovered that there were severe cracks where the carbon fiber was to be installed in the hoop direction. 20 oz of carbon fiber was installed perpendicular to the cracks before installing in the hoop direction to help maintain the integrity of the pipe. The job was completed in the time required and is still functioning today.
