Rapid Encapsulation of Pipelines Avoiding Intensive Replacement Workshop

The Rapid Encapsulation of Pipelines Avoiding Intensive Replacement (REPAIR) workshop sought to reduce costs for replacing bare steel and cast iron gas distribution pipes by fabricating new, “smart” pipes inside the old pipes using robotics, advanced composite materials, and new inspection tools.  The objective was to go beyond current industry practices:

  • The rehabilitated pipe is lower cost, has superior specifications, and is “smarter” than new polyethylene
  • Concurrently document 3-D map of system, detailed inspection record including composite materials certifications
  • Proactively address qualifying rehabilitated pipe as a new assets in the utility rate base

While this program is focused on gas distribution pipelines, the processes can also be used for gas gathering, water, sewer, and possibly higher-pressure transmission pipelines, which represents a multi-billion dollar market.

Success requires technical and commercial expertise from within and outside the pipeline community in the following competencies:

  • Utility and regulatory stakeholders to set system performance specifications
  • Pipe and materials testing expertise, facilities, and/or Codes and Standards expertise
  • Service companies that can integrate components and create a turn-key commercial offers
  • Robotics experts to create platforms for applying composite coatings and conveying inspection tools
  • Composite experts who can develop a “Goldilocks” smart formulations with the correct mix of viscosity, set time, strength, flexibility to achieve minimum 50 year life. We are interested in “smart composites” that have enhanced adhesion, self-healing features, and “self-reporting” functionality to provide positive feedback related to stress/strain
  • Sensors/Inspection tools that can assess integrity of coating, as well as assess underlying metal pipes.  Relevant expertise includes eddy current, UT, and thermal
  • Data analytics/visualization software to allow “real-time” decisions by operators.

October 10

TIMEEVENT 10:00-11:30 One-on-one meetings with Dr. Jack Lewnard, Program Director 10:00-12:00 Registration and Lunch 12:00-12:15 Welcome and Introduction to ARPA-E
Jennifer Gerbi, ARPA-E 12:15-12:35 REPAIR Workshop Overview
Jack Lewnard, ARPA-E 12:35-1:00 Defining Success
Daphne D’Zurko, NYSEARCH
Dennis Jarneke, GTI
Thomas O’Rourke, Cornell 1:00-1:25 Regulatory Considerations
Buddy Secor, PHMSA
Wallace Jones, NAPSR
Jeff Maier, ASTM F-17 1:25-1:30 Q&A 1:30-1:45 Break 1:45-3:00 State of the Art Composite Materials and Tools
Allan Manalo, University Southern Queensland
Jon Wilker, Purdue University
Jorge Costa, Autonomic Materials
Veronica Santos, UCLA 3:00-3:05 Q&A 3:05-3:10 Breakout 1 Overview
Jack Lewnard, ARPA-E 3:15-4:45 Breakout Session 1: Component Capabilities 4:50-5:00 Adjourn 5:30-7:00 One-on-one meetings with Dr. Jack Lewnard, Program Director


October 11

TIMEEVENT 8:00-8:30 Networking & Breakfast 8:30-8:45 Day 1 Recap, Day 2 Objectives and Next Steps…
Jack Lewnard, ARPA-E 8:45-9:00 Q&A 9:00-10:15 Tools, Mapping, and Data Management
Tomonori Saito, Oak Ridge National Lab
Cole Nielsen, Orbital Composites
John Matthews, Louisiana Tech University
Greg Schultz, White River Technologies 10:15-10:20 Q&A 10:20-10:35 Break 10:35-10:40 Breakout 2 Overview
Jack Lewnard, ARPA-E 10:40-12:00 Breakout Session 2: System Level Solutions 12:00 Adjourn 12:30-2:30 One-on-one meetings with Dr. Jack Lewnard, Program Director

 

For more information on REPAIR, please watch the recorded presentation below: